Broadband Heterodyne Microwave Detection using Rydberg Atoms with High Sensitivity

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2601.19305v1
• Date: Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:45:27 GMT
• Title: Broadband Heterodyne Microwave Detection using Rydberg Atoms with High Sensitivity
• Authors: Hsuan-Jui Su, Shao-Cheng Fang, Ting-An Li, Chen-Hao Chang, Yu-Chi Chen, Yi-Hsin Chen,
• Abstract summary: We present a Rydberg atom-based microwave electric field sensor that achieves extended dynamic range and enhanced sensitivity across a broad bandwidth.<n>By characterizing the Autler-Townes splitting induced by a single-tone microwave field, we demonstrate a spectroscopic method that simultaneously extracts both the microwave frequency and electric field strength directly from the splitting pattern.<n>We implement dual-tone heterodyne detection, achieving a minimum detectable field strength on the order of uV/cm and a sensitivity in the sub-uV/cm/Hz1/2 regime, while extending the operational bandwidth up to 3 GHz.
• Score: 7.242743712951552
• License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Abstract: We present a Rydberg atom-based microwave electric field sensor that achieves extended dynamic range and enhanced sensitivity across a broad bandwidth. By characterizing the Autler-Townes (AT) splitting induced by a single-tone microwave field, we demonstrate a spectroscopic method that simultaneously extracts both the microwave frequency and electric field strength directly from the splitting pattern. We implement dual-tone heterodyne detection, achieving a minimum detectable field strength on the order of uV/cm and a sensitivity in the sub-uV/cm/Hz^1/2 regime, while extending the operational bandwidth up to 3 GHz. Through systematic characterization of frequency and power dependencies, we identify optimal operating conditions to minimize power broadening in the resonant AT regime and maximize sensitivity in the far-off-resonance AC Stark regime. The resulting platform combines high sensitivity, broad bandwidth, and a dynamic range of approximately 90 dB, establishing Rydberg atoms as practical sensors for precision electric field metrology.

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