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arXiv:2404.04864 · IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications

Towards Atomic MIMO Receivers

Mingyao Cui, Qunsong Zeng, Kaibin Huang

Published Jan 20, 2025• 44 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The advancement of Rydberg atoms in quantum information technology is driving a paradigm shift from classicalradio-frequency(RF) receivers to Rydberg atomic receivers. Capitalizing on the extreme sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to external electromagnetic fields, Rydberg atomic receivers are capable of realizing more precise radio-wave measurements than RF receivers to support high-performance wireless communication and sensing. Although the atomic receiver is developing rapidly in quantum-physics domain, its integration with wireless communications is at a nascent stage. In particular, systematic methods to enhance communication performance through this integration are yet to be discovered. Motivated by this observation, we propose in this paper to incorporate Rydberg atomic receivers intomultiple-input-multiple-output(MIMO) communication, a prominent 5G technology, as the first attempt on implementing atomic MIMO receivers. To begin with, we provide a comprehensive introduction on the principles of Rydberg atomic receivers and build on them to design the atomic MIMO receivers. Our findings reveal that signal detection of atomic MIMO receivers corresponds to a non-linear biasedphase retrieval(PR) problem, as opposed to the linear Gaussian model adopted in classical MIMO systems. Then, to recover signals from this non-linear model, we modify the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm, a typical PR solver, into a biased GS algorithm to solve the biased PR problem. Moreover, we propose a novel Expectation-Maximization GS (EM-GS) algorithm to cope with the unique Rician distribution of the biased PR model. Our EM-GS algorithm introduces a high-pass filter constructed by the ratio of Bessel functions into the iteration procedure of GS, thereby improving the detection accuracy without sacrificing the computational efficiency. Finally, the effectiveness of the devised algorithms and the feasibility of atomic MIMO receivers are demonstrated by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation.

DOI
10.1109/jsac.2025.3531528

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The advancement of Rydberg atoms in quantum information technology is driving a paradigm shift from classicalradio-frequency(RF) receivers to Rydberg atomic receivers. Capitalizing on the extreme sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to external electromagnetic fields, Rydberg atomic receivers are capable of realizing more precise radio-wave measurements than RF receivers to support high-performance wireless communication and sensing. Although the atomic receiver is developing rapidly in quantum-physics domain, its integration with wireless communications is at a nascent stage. In particular, systematic methods to enhance communication performance through this integration are yet to be discovered. Motivated by this observation, we propose in this paper to incorporate Rydberg atomic receivers intomultiple-input-multiple-output(MIMO) communication, a prominent 5G technology, as the first attempt on implementing atomic MIMO receivers. To begin with, we provide a comprehensive introduction on the principles of Rydberg atomic receivers and build on them to design the atomic MIMO receivers. Our findings reveal that signal detection of atomic MIMO receivers corresponds to a non-linear biasedphase retrieval(PR) problem, as opposed to the linear Gaussian model adopted in classical MIMO systems. Then, to recover signals from this non-linear model, we modify the Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm, a typical PR solver, into a biased GS algorithm to solve the biased PR problem. Moreover, we propose a novel Expectation-Maximization GS (EM-GS) algorithm to cope with the unique Rician distribution of the biased PR model. Our EM-GS algorithm introduces a high-pass filter constructed by the ratio of Bessel functions into the iteration procedure of GS, thereby improving the detection accuracy without sacrificing the computational efficiency. Finally, the effectiveness of the devised algorithms and the feasibility of atomic MIMO receivers are demonstrated by theoretical analysis and numerical simulation.
The advancement of Rydberg atoms is driving a paradigm shift from classical receivers to atomic receivers. Capitalizing on the extreme sensitivity of Rydberg atoms to external disturbance, atomic receivers can measure radio waves more precisely than classical receivers to support high-performance wireless communication. Although the atomic receiver is developing rapidly in the field of quantum physics, its integration with wireless communications is at a nascent stage. Particularly, systematic methods to enhance communication performance through this integration are largely uncharted. Motivated by this observation, we propose to incorporate atomic receivers into multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications to implement atomic-MIMO receivers. We establish the framework of atomic-MIMO receivers by exploiting the principle of quantum sensing. Our model reveals that the signal detection of atomic-MIMO systems is intrinsically a nonlinear phase-retrieval problem, as opposed to the linear model in classical MIMO systems. To perform atomic-MIMO signal detection, we propose an Expectation-Maximization-Gerchberg-Saxton (EM-GS) algorithm based on the maximum likelihood (ML) criteria. Its novelty lies in treating the unobserved phase information as a latent variable and thereby decoupling the intricate ML problem into a sequence of tractable linear regression problems with analytical solutions. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of detecting atomic-MIMO signals using the EM-GS algorithm.
Rydberg atomic quantum receivers (RAQRs) are emerging quantum precision sensing platforms designed for receiving radio frequency (RF) signals. It relies on the creation of Rydberg atoms from normal atoms by exciting one or more electrons to a very high energy level, thereby making the atom sensitive to RF signals. RAQRs realize RF-to-optical conversions based on atom-light interactions relying on the so-called electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) and Autler- Townes splitting (ATS) so that the desired RF signal can be read out optically. The large dipole moments of Rydberg atoms associated with rich choices of Rydberg states facilitate an ultra-high sensitivity (~nv⁄cm/√Hz) and an ultra-broadband tunability (direct-current to Terahertz). RAQRs also exhibit compelling scalability and lend themselves to the construction of innovative, compact receivers. Initial experimental studies have demonstrated their capabilities in classical wireless communications and sensing. To fully harness their potential in a wide variety of applications, we commence by outlining the underlying fundamentals of Rydberg atoms, followed by the principles and schemes of RAQRs. Then, we overview the state-of-the-art studies from both physics and communication societies. Furthermore, we conceive Rydberg atomic quantum single-input single-output (RAQ-SISO) and multiple-input multiple- output (RAQ-MIMO) schemes to facilitate the integration of RAQRs with classical wireless systems. Finally, we conclude with a set of potent research directions.
The significant progress of quantum sensing technologies offer numerous radical solutions for measuring a multitude of physical quantities at an unprecedented precision. Among them, Rydberg atomic quantum receivers (RAQRs) emerge as an eminent solution for detecting the electric field of radio frequency (RF) signals, exhibiting great potential in assisting classical wireless communications and sensing. So far, most experimental studies have aimed for the proof of physical concepts to reveal its promise, while the practical signal model of RAQR-aided wireless communications and sensing remained under-explored. Furthermore, the performance of RAQR-based wireless receivers and their advantages over classical RF receivers have not been fully characterized. To fill these gaps, we introduce the RAQR to the wireless community by presenting an end-to-end reception scheme. We then develop a corresponding equivalent baseband signal model relying on a realistic reception flow. Our scheme and model provide explicit design guidance to RAQR-aided wireless systems. We next study the performance of RAQR-aided wireless systems based on our model, and compare them to classical RF receivers. The results show that Doppler broadening-free RAQRs are capable of achieving a substantial received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) gain of over 27 decibel (dB) and 40 dB in the photon shot limit and standard quantum limit regimes, respectively.
Rydberg atomic receiver has recently emerged as a breakthrough technology for sensing and communications in next-generation Internet-of-Things (IoT) owing to its potential to surpass sensitivity limits of classical radio frequency (RF) receivers. In this paper, we consider a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) system with an RF transmitter and a Rydberg atomic receiver. Unlike prior works, a key technical innovation of our approach lies in the joint optimization of both transmit and receive processing techniques along with the design of reference signal injection according to a mean square error (MSE) criterion for signal recovery. However, the design problem is nonconvex on account of phase information loss in the received signal and nonlinearity of the objective function. To overcome this tricky challenge in an effective and intelligent manner, we propose a novel and high-performing deep learning (DL) framework calledDeepQ-MIMObased on the construction of an advanced DL network with innovative customization mechanisms. Numerical results confirm the supremacy and efficacy of the proposed DeepQ-MIMO system, and further provide useful design insights.
Next-generation space-air-ground-sea integrated networks (SAGSIN) impose unprecedented demands on advanced radio frequency (RF) receivers for full-spectrum agility, ultra-high sensitivity, and anti-jamming resilience, pushing conventional electronic receivers to their physical limits. To address these challenges, the Rydberg atomic quantum (RAQ) radio has emerged as a promising quantum-enabled receiver paradigm that directly maps electromagnetic fields onto atomic quantum states, offering an alternative to alleviate bottlenecks of conventional RF front ends. To provide a clear research roadmap, this survey presents a comprehensive review of RAQ radios by bridging atomic physics and wireless communications. Specifically, we first introduce the underlying quantum mechanisms, representative architectures, and atomic response models of RAQ radio. On this basis, state-of-the-art techniques for enhancing sensitivity, instantaneous bandwidth, and operating frequency are systematically reviewed, with particular emphasis on the inherent trade-offs among these key metrics. To connect quantum response with communication theory, we further analyze equivalent channel modeling frameworks for characterizing systematic performance limits. From the wireless communication perspective, some RAQ-enabled advanced technologies including cognitive, interference-resilient, low-frequency and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications are reviewed, alongside emerging deployment scenarios such as satellite networks, integrated sensing and communications, and reconfigurable intelligent surface-assisted systems. Finally, we identify open challenges and provide potential future directions of RAQ radio to inspire the further exploration.
This paper proposes a multi-band quantum wireless sensing algorithm for the Rydberg atomic receiver. The proposed algorithm first estimates the non-linear wireless channel for the atomic receiver by adopting the biased Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) algorithm to retrieve the eliminated phase information. Thereafter, correlations between the estimated channel and multi-band steering vectors are calculated in the quantized angular grids to detect the angle-of-arrivals (AoAs) of multi-band users in an exhaustive manner. To the best of our knowledge, the proposed algorithm enables multi-band quantum wireless sensing for the first time and is unveiling the theoretical potential of the Rydberg atomic receivers.