A millimeter-wave atomic receiver

Abstract

Rydberg quantum sensors are sensitive to radio-frequency fields across an ultra-wide frequency range spanning megahertz to terahertz electromagnetic waves resonant with Rydberg atom dipole transitions. Here we demonstrate an atomic millimeter-wave heterodyne receiver employing continuous-wave lasers stabilized to an optical frequency comb. We characterize the atomic receiver in the W-band at signal frequency of $f$=95.992512~GHz, and demonstrate a sensitivity of 7.9$\mu$V/m/$\sqrt{Hz}$ and a linear dynamic range of 70dB. We develop frequency selectivity metrics for atomic receivers and demonstrate their use in our millimeter-wave receiver, including signal rejection levels at signal frequency offsets $\Delta f/f$ = 10${}^{-4}$, 10${}^{-5}$ and 10${}^{-6}$, 3-dB, 6-dB, 9-dB and 12-dB bandwidths, filter roll-off, and shape factor analysis. Our work represents an important advance towards future studies and applications of atomic receiver science and technology and in weak millimeter-wave and high-frequency signal detection.

arXiv comment9 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (8)

• Rydberg superatoms: An artificial quantum system for quantum information processing and quantum optics
• High-angular-momentum Rydberg states in a room-temperature vapor cell for DC electric-field sensing
• Optically-biased Rydberg microwave receiver enabled by hybrid nonlinear interferometry
• A Rydberg atom based system for benchmarking mmWave automotive radar chips
• Atomic-optical interferometry in fractured loops: a general solution for Rydberg radio frequency receivers
• Doppler sensitivity and resonant tuning of Rydberg atom-based antennas
• Electric-field metrology of a terahertz frequency comb using Rydberg atoms
• Non-Linearities In Atomic Quantum Receivers: Harmonic And Intermodulation Distortion