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arXiv:2408.14704 · Applied Physics Letters

Performance of antenna-based and Rydberg quantum RF sensors in the electrically small regime

Kelly M. Backes, Peter K. Elgee, K.-J. LeBlanc, Charles Fancher, David H. Meyer, Paul D. Kunz, Neel Malvania, Kathryn L. Nicolich, Joshua C. Hill, Bonnie L. Schmittberger, Kevin C. Cox

Published Sep 30, 2024• 10 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

Rydberg atom electric field sensors are tunable quantum sensors that can perform sensitive radio frequency measurements. Their qualities have piqued interest at longer wavelengths where their small size compares favorably to impedance-matched antennas. Here, we compare the signal detection sensitivity of cm-scale Rydberg sensors to similarly sized room-temperature electrically small antennas with active and passive receiver backends. We present and analyze effective circuit models for each sensor type, facilitating a fair sensitivity comparison for cm-scale sensors. We calculate that contemporary Rydberg sensor implementations are less sensitive than unmatched antennas with active amplification. However, we find that idealized Rydberg sensors operating with a maximized atom number and at the standard quantum limit may perform well beyond the capabilities of antenna-based sensors at room temperature, the sensitivities of both lying below typical atmospheric background noise.

DOI
10.1063/5.0222827

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Rydberg atom electric field sensors are tunable quantum sensors that can perform sensitive radio frequency measurements. Their qualities have piqued interest at longer wavelengths where their small size compares favorably to impedance-matched antennas. Here, we compare the signal detection sensitivity of cm-scale Rydberg sensors to similarly sized room-temperature electrically small antennas with active and passive receiver backends. We present and analyze effective circuit models for each sensor type, facilitating a fair sensitivity comparison for cm-scale sensors. We calculate that contemporary Rydberg sensor implementations are less sensitive than unmatched antennas with active amplification. However, we find that idealized Rydberg sensors operating with a maximized atom number and at the standard quantum limit may perform well beyond the capabilities of antenna-based sensors at room temperature, the sensitivities of both lying below typical atmospheric background noise.
Rydberg atom electric field sensors are projected to enable novel capabilities for resilient communications and sensing. This quantum sensor is small-size, highly sensitive, and broadly tunable, and it has the potential for performing precision vector electric field and angle-of-arrival measurements. While these atomic electric field sensors will not replace traditional receivers in commodity applications for RF signal reception, these sensors could be an enabling technology in niche application spaces. This review outlines the principles of operation of atomic electric field sensors and compares their performance capabilities to traditional RF receivers. It also highlights recent research and development efforts in atomic electric field sensing and identifies applications for which these sensors are projected to impact communications and remote sensing.
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Rydberg atom electric field sensors offer a number of benefits over traditional antenna-based receivers. They are highly sensitive, small-size, and broadly tunable from near-DC to THz frequencies with a single sensor apparatus. While these sensors are unlikely to replace traditional receivers in many applications owing to their added complexity and narrowband response, they have the potential for a large impact in niche application areas. In this talk, I will highlight viable areas of impact and discuss how their performance compares to that of traditional sensors. Furthermore, I describe the recent progress made on the development of a Rydberg atom-based electric field sensor at MITRE.
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