No Arabic abstract
We demonstrate a new technique for detecting components of arbitrarily-shaped radio-frequency waveforms based on stroboscopic back-action evading measurements. We combine quantum non-demolition measurements and stroboscopic probing to detect waveform components with magnetic sensitivity beyond the standard quantum limit. Using an ensemble of $1.5times 10^6$ cold rubidium atoms, we demonstrate entanglement-enhanced sensing of sinusoidal and linearly chirped waveforms, with 1.0(2)dB and 0.8(3)dB metrologically relevant noise reduction, respectively. We achieve volume-adjusted sensitivity of $deltarm{B}sqrt{V}approx 11.20~rm{fTsqrt{cm^3/Hz}}$, comparable to the best RF~magnetometers.
We demonstrate the use of multiple atomic-level Rydberg-atom schemes for continuous frequency detection of radio frequency (RF) fields. Resonant detection of RF fields by electromagnetically-induced transparency and Autler-Townes (AT) in Rydberg atoms is typically limited to frequencies within the narrow bandwidth of a Rydberg transition. By applying a second field resonant with an adjacent Rydberg transition, far-detuned fields can be detected through a two-photon resonance AT splitting. This two-photon AT splitting method is several orders of magnitude more sensitive than off-resonant detection using the Stark shift. We present the results of various experimental configurations and a theoretical analysis to illustrate the effectiveness of this multiple level scheme. These results show that this approach allows for the detection of frequencies in continuous band between resonances with adjacent Rydberg states.
In this article we describe the basic principles of Rydberg atom-based RF sensing and present the development of atomic pulsed RF detection and RF phase sensing establishing capabilities pertinent to applications in communications and sensing. To date advances in Rydberg atom-based RF field sensors have been rooted in a method in which the fundamental physical quantity being detected and measured is the electric field amplitude, $E$, of the incident RF electromagnetic wave. The first part of this paper is focused on using atom-based $E$-field measurement for RF field-sensing and communications applications. With established phase-sensitive technologies, such as synthetic aperture radar (SAR) as well as emerging trends in phased-array antennas in 5G, a method is desired that allows robust, optical retrieval of the RF phase using an enhanced atom-based field sensor. In the second part of this paper we describe our fundamentally new atomic RF sensor and measurement method for the phase of the RF electromagnetic wave that affords all the performance advantages exhibited by the atomic sensor. The presented phase-sensitive RF field detection capability opens atomic RF sensor technology to a wide array of application areas including phase-modulated signal communication systems, radar, and field amplitude and phase mapping for near-field/far-field antenna characterizations.
Developing fast, accurate and scalable techniques for quantum state readout is an active area in semiconductor-based quantum computing. Here, we present results on dispersive sensing of silicon corner state quantum dots coupled to lumped-element electrical resonators via the gate. The gate capacitance of the quantum device is configured in parallel with a superconducting spiral inductor resulting in resonators with loaded Q-factors in the 400-800 range. For a resonator operating at 330 MHz, we achieve a charge sensitivity of 7.7 $mu$e$/sqrt{text{Hz}}$ and, when operating at 616 MHz, we get 1.3 $mu$e$/sqrt{text{Hz}}$. We perform a parametric study of the resonator to reveal its optimal operation points and perform a circuit analysis to determine the best resonator design. The results place gate-based sensing at par with the best reported radio-frequency single-electron transistor sensitivities while providing a fast and compact method for quantum state readout.
We use an atomic vapor cell as a frequency tunable microwave field detector operating at frequencies from GHz to tens of GHz. We detect microwave magnetic fields from 2.3 GHz to 26.4 GHz, and measure the amplitude of the sigma+ component of an 18 GHz microwave field. Our proof-of-principle demonstration represents a four orders of magnitude extension of the frequency tunable range of atomic magnetometers from their previous dc to several MHz range. When integrated with a high resolution microwave imaging system, this will allow for the complete reconstruction of the vector components of a microwave magnetic field and the relative phase between them. Potential applications include near-field characterisation of microwave circuitry and devices, and medical microwave sensing and imaging.
We realize and model a Rydberg-state atom interferometer for measurement of phase and intensity of radio-frequency (RF) electromagnetic waves. A phase reference is supplied to the atoms via a modulated laser beam, enabling atomic measurement of the RF waves phase without an external RF reference wave. The RF and optical fields give rise to closed interferometric loops within the atoms internal Hilbert space. In our experiment, we construct interferometric loops in the state space ${ 6P_{3/2}, 90S_{1/2}, 91S_{1/2}, 90P_{3/2} }$ of cesium and employ them to measure phase and intensity of a 5 GHz RF wave in a room-temperature vapor cell. Electromagnetically induced transparency on the $6S_{1/2}$ to $6P_{3/2}$ transition serves as an all-optical interferometer probe. The RF phase is measured over a range of $pi$, and a sensitivity of 2 mrad is achieved. RF phase and amplitude measurements at sub-millimeter optical spatial resolution are demonstrated.