The interaction between an electric field and the energy levels of Rydberg states results in the Stark effect, which can be used for quantum detection by measuring the frequency shift in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra. By using the functional relationship between the frequency shift and the electric field, it is possible to measure the electric field in question. However, the mismatch between the probe laser and the polarization direction of the coupled laser leads to errors in the measurement of the frequency shift, affecting the accurate measurement of the electric field. In this work, the Schrödinger equation is solved by perturbation method to derive the functional relationship between the energy offset and the electric field strength. Then, the functional relationship between the energy offset and the electric field strength is brought into the solution of the density matrix equation, and the influences of the polarization direction of the detected light and coupled light on the EIT-Stark mathematical model are analyzed. Then an internal electrode method is used to prevent shielding effects caused by alkali metal atoms adhering to the surface of the atomic vapor cell, thereby enabling the application of the electric field. The calibration of the Rydberg state polarisation rate is achieved by using a standard source and measuring the frequency shift of the EIT spectrum. Finally, the effects of polarisation mismatch on the measurement results of EIT spectrum and the electric field are verified by modulating the laser polarization direction. The experimental data show that when the polarization directions of the probe laser and coupled laser are parallel to each other, it is the most matched polarization direction for the lasers, the peak value of the EIT spectrum is the largest, and the maximum relative error of the electric field measurement is 1.67%. When the angle between the polarisation directions of the probe light and the coupled light laser is 45°, the laser polarisation mismatch is the most severe, the EIT spectral peak is the lowest and the maximum relative error of the electric field measurement is 10.24%.
The interaction between an electric field and the energy levels of Rydberg states results in the Stark effect, which can be used for quantum detection by measuring the frequency shift in electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra. By using the functional relationship between the frequency shift and the electric field, it is possible to measure the electric field in question. However, the mismatch between the probe laser and the polarization direction of the coupled laser leads to errors in the measurement of the frequency shift, affecting the accurate measurement of the electric field. In this work, the Schrödinger equation is solved by perturbation method to derive the functional relationship between the energy offset and the electric field strength. Then, the functional relationship between the energy offset and the electric field strength is brought into the solution of the density matrix equation, and the influences of the polarization direction of the detected light and coupled light on the EIT-Stark mathematical model are analyzed. Then an internal electrode method is used to prevent shielding effects caused by alkali metal atoms adhering to the surface of the atomic vapor cell, thereby enabling the application of the electric field. The calibration of the Rydberg state polarisation rate is achieved by using a standard source and measuring the frequency shift of the EIT spectrum. Finally, the effects of polarisation mismatch on the measurement results of EIT spectrum and the electric field are verified by modulating the laser polarization direction. The experimental data show that when the polarization directions of the probe laser and coupled laser are parallel to each other, it is the most matched polarization direction for the lasers, the peak value of the EIT spectrum is the largest, and the maximum relative error of the electric field measurement is 1.67%. When the angle between the polarisation directions of the probe light and the coupled light laser is 45°, the laser polarisation mismatch is the most severe, the EIT spectral peak is the lowest and the maximum relative error of the electric field measurement is 10.24%.
Rydberg-assisted atomic electrometry with thermal vapors offers a promising approach for detecting external electric fields. However, this technique presents significant challenges for measuring low frequencies due to the effects of metal-alkali atoms adsorbed on the interior surface of the vacuum chamber. In this work, we apply high-contrast Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy to systematically investigate these effects, including the influence of laser power and electric field strength. We demonstrate the ability to measure electric field frequencies ranging from 10 Hz to 1 MHz. Additionally, this study identifies a fundamental limit for data capacity in such measurements. Furthermore, we propose a method for precise Stark shift measurements by locking the coupling laser to Zeeman-split Rydberg EIT peaks. Using the Zeeman shift in a reference cell as a stable frequency reference, we are able to track Stark-induced shifts in a science cell and confirm excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. These results provide valuable insights for future precision measurement techniques and field sensing applications based on Rydberg atom systems.
Quantum electric field measurement based on the Stark effect of Rydberg atoms has the advantages of high precision, traceability, and self-calibration. However, the current perturbation-based modeling method for the relationship between field strength and energy level shift only applies to weak fields. In applications such as power systems, electric fields can reach the kV/m level. Under such electric fields, the Rydberg state cannot ignore the strong coupling effect between adjacent highlstates, and the relationship model established by perturbation approximation is no longer accurate. This paper introduces the Landau–Zener (L-Z) tunneling model to address this limitation and describes the coupling between energy levels. It is used to construct the Rydberg atomic Hamiltonian, which includes highlstate coupling. We calculate the eigenenergies of Rydberg atoms at various electric-field strengths via matrix diagonalization, thereby obtaining a discrete mapping between field strength and energy-level shift in the strong-field regime. Subsequently, the hybrid Levenberg–Marquardt (LM) and Bayesian polynomial regression (BPR) neural network (LM-BPR) was constructed to train the discrete mapping into a continuous prediction model. In addition, the dynamic programming (DP) algorithm performs global ridge tracking on the electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectrum and extracts frequency shift information from the complex EIT spectrum. Combining the above methods, strong electric field inversion based on Rydberg atoms was achieved. Experiments using the 28D5/2 Rydberg state demonstrate electric-field measurements up to 7 kV/m, with a relative error of 2.9%.
We demonstrate the measurement of super low-frequency electric field using Rydberg atoms in an atomic vapor cell with inside parallel electrodes, thus overcoming the low-frequency electric-field-screening effect at frequencies below a few kHz. Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra involving 52 D 5/2 state is employed to measure the signal electric field. An auxiliary DC field is applied to improve the sensitivity. A DC Stark map is demonstrated, where the utilized 52 D 5/2 exhibits m j = 1/2, 3/2, 5/2 Stark shifts and splittings. The m j = 1/2 state is employed to detect the signal field because of its larger polarizability than that of m j = 3/2, 5/2. Also, we show that the strength of the spectrum is dependent on the angle between the laser polarizations and the electric field. With optimization of the applied DC field to shift the m j = 1/2 Rydberg energy level to a high sensitivity region and the laser polarizations to obtain the maximum m j = 1/2 signal, we achieve the detection of the signal electric field with a frequency of 100 Hz down to 214.8 µ V/cm with a sensitivity of 67.9 µ V cm −1 Hz −1/2 , and the linear dynamic range is over 37 dB. Our work extends the measurement frequency of Rydberg sensors to super low frequency with high sensitivity, which has the advantages of high sensitivity and miniaturization for receiving super low frequency.
The large electric dipole moment of the Rydberg atom allows for strong coupling with weak electric fields, and is widely used in electric field measurements because of its reproducibility, precision and stability. The combination of Rydberg atoms and electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) technology has been used for detecting and characterizing radio-frequency (RF) electric fields. In this work, by selecting probe light (852 nm), dressed light (1470 nm), and coupled light (780 nm), the Rydberg state (49P3/2) of Cs atom is prepared by using a three-photon excitation scheme through using all-infrared light excitation of Rydberg atoms. We experimentally observe the EIT spectra of the Rydberg states decorated by radio-frequency electric fields, which optically detects Rydberg atoms. The effect of the amplitude and frequency of the RF electric field on the spectrum is explored in light of changes in the EIT spectrum. The results show that in the region of weak electric field, only the ac Stark energy shift and spectral broadening occur. As the electric field is further enhanced, the sideband phenomenon occurs in both the primary peak and secondary peak of the EIT. In the region of strong field, the Rydberg energy level produces a series of Floquet states with higher-order terms, as well as state shifting and mixing, resulting in asymmetry in the spectra of the EIT sideband peaks. The effect of frequency on the shielding effect of the Cs vapor cell is further discussed based on the shift of the main peak of the EIT. The demodulation of the electric field in a range of 50 Hz–1 kHz with a fidelity of 95% is achieved by modulating the low-frequency electric field to the RF electric field. The results can provide valuable references for spectral detection and traceable measurements of low-frequency electric fields.
Rydberg atoms are highly excited atoms with large principal quantum number n, big sizes (~n2) and long lifetimes (~n3). Rydberg atoms are very sensitive to an external field due to the large polarizabilities of Rydberg atoms (~n7). Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) of Rydberg atom provides an ideal method to detect Rydberg atoms without destroying atoms, and can be used to measure the external direct current and radio frequency (RF) field. In this paper, we study the EIT effect of a cesium ladder-type three-level atom involving Rydberg state exposed to a weak RF field. The ground state (6S1/2), the excited state (6P3/2) and Rydberg state (48D5/2) constitute the Rydberg three-level system, in which the probe laser couples 6S1/2(F=4)6P3/2(F'=5) transition, whereas the coupling laser scans across the 6P3/248D5/2 Rydberg transition. The coupling laser (510 nm laser, propagating in the z-axis direction and linear polarization in the y-axis direction) and the probe laser (852 nm laser, linear polarization in the y-axis direction) counter-propagate through a 50-mm-long cesium vapor cell at room temperature, yielding Rydberg EIT spectra. Rydberg EIT signal is detected as a function of the detuning of the coupling laser. When a weak RF (80 MHz) electric field polarized in the x-axis direction is applied to a pair of electrode plates located on both sides of the cesium cell, the EIT spectrum of Rydberg 48D5/2 shows the Stark splitting and the even order harmonic sidebands. The experimental results are analyzed by using the Floquet theory. The simulation results accord well with the experimentally measured results. Furthermore, we also investigate the influence of the self-ionization effect of Rydberg atom on the Stark spectrum by changing the RF frequency. We put forward a proposal to avoid the effect of ionization by placing electrode plates in the cesium cell. In the weak RF-field domain, mj=5/2 Stark line crosses mj=1/2, 3/2 sidebands, these cross points provide an antenna-free method of accurately calibrating the RF electric field based on Rydberg atoms.
The high polarizability of Rydberg atoms enables the multi-parameters measurement of electromagnetic fields. In this paper, we report on an atomic antenna based on Rydberg atoms in a room temperature vapor cell. The EIT is a destructive interference spectroscopy with a narrow linewidth and can be used to detect small electric fields through Autler-Townes splitting or Stark shifts. In our experiments, we employ cascade-type two-photon excitation electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectroscopy to measure the shift of the Rydberg energy level. We introduce a low-frequency electric field (~kHz frequency) using a built-in electrode technique in the cesium cell. The interaction between the Rydberg atom and electric field induces the Stark shifts, where the amplitude of the electric field is converted into corresponding two-photon detuning by the EIT effect. Furthermore, the amplitude of the low-frequency electric field is converted into an intensity signal of EIT probe beam. Under weak field conditions, it is an approximate linear relationship between EIT transmission signal and input electric field amplitude, enabling measurement of waveform, amplitude, and frequency. We have demonstrated optical measurements of low-frequency electric field using Rydberg atoms. By increasing the power of probe beam and coupling beam, the EIT can increase the response bandwidth from ~MHz to hundreds of MHz. This provides a scalable approach for measuring high-frequency electric fields.