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RF E-field Sensing Using Rydberg Atom-Based Microwave Electrometry

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Abstract

In this work, a microwave field is sensed by rubidium atoms instead of a conventional antenna like dipole or horn antenna. Microwave field is projected onto a glass cell containing Rb vapors which act as an antenna in this case. A four-level ladder atomic system is considered for analytical solution, and E-field measurement is reported by utilizing quantum phenomena like electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler–Townes splitting. It has been shown that atoms can also sense weak microwave field with this approach. The amplitude measurement of microwave E-field is changed to frequency measurement, and E-field is evaluated by monitoring the frequency difference between two EIT peaks. Measurement results are reported for variable input microwave power at frequency 15.09 GHz varying from 12.5 μW to 4 mW generated from synthesized signal generator. Moreover, the effect on the EIT resonance due to the distance variation of the source antenna is also discussed. The microwave frequency is detuned from the resonant frequency, and results are reported in this work.

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Acknowledgements

Monika is thankful to Union Grant Commission for Junior Research Fellowship. H. S. Rawat is thankful to Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), and Rohde & Schwarz India Pvt. Ltd. for Prime Minister Fellowship for Doctoral Research. Authors are also thankful to Dr. A. K. Mohapatra and his team for allowing the experiments to be conducted at NISER Bhubaneswar. The results reported in this work are observed at NISER with the help of Dr. Mohapatra’s team.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India

    Monika, Harish Singh Rawat & Satya Kesh Dubey

  2. CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi, 110012, India

    Monika, Harish Singh Rawat & Satya Kesh Dubey

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  1. Monika
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  2. Harish Singh Rawat
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Correspondence to Satya Kesh Dubey.

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Monika, Rawat, H.S. & Dubey, S.K. RF E-field Sensing Using Rydberg Atom-Based Microwave Electrometry. MAPAN 35, 555–562 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-020-00404-2

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