Continuous Quantum Aperture: Beamforming with a Single-Vapor-Cell Rydberg Receiver

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2604.09068v1
• Date: Fri, 10 Apr 2026 07:50:23 GMT
• Title: Continuous Quantum Aperture: Beamforming with a Single-Vapor-Cell Rydberg Receiver
• Abstract summary: A Rydberg-atom vapor cell dressed by a local-oscillator field constitutes a continuous quantum aperture.<n>We establish the theory of continuous quantum aperture and show that tailoring the local-oscillator field can directly program the aperture response.<n>Experiments on a Rydberg atomic receiver prototype verify that practical beam patterns agree with theoretical predictions across aperture sizes, frequency bands, and local-oscillator configurations.
• Score: 42.515707196265815
• License: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
• Abstract: Beamforming is conventionally understood as a collective property of many discrete antenna elements in both communication and radar fields, which links angular selectivity to array size, element spacing, and band-specific hardware. Here we uncover a fundamentally different beamforming mechanism achieved by a Rydberg atomic receiver: a Rydberg-atom vapor cell dressed by a local-oscillator field constitutes a continuous quantum aperture. In this regime, spatially-varying quantum coherence across the aperture provides continuous amplitude-phase control, allowing a directional beam pattern to emerge from one sensing volume rather than from an engineered array. We establish the theory of continuous quantum aperture and show that tailoring the local-oscillator field can directly program the aperture response. This enables reconfigurable single-peak, multipeak, and multiband beamforming within a single vapor cell. Experiments on a Rydberg atomic receiver prototype verify that practical beam patterns agree with theoretical predictions across aperture sizes, frequency bands, and local-oscillator configurations. Leveraging this new beamforming mechanism, we further demonstrate interference mitigation, multiuser access, and multiband multiuser access with the single-vapor-cell platform. Our results identify the continuous quantum aperture as a new operating principle of Rydberg atomic receivers and establish single-vapor-cell beamforming as an integrated and reconfigurable platform for spatially selective electromagnetic reception.

Related papers

• Multiplexed storage and interaction of Rydberg spinwaves via the gradient echo memory protocol [0.0]
  Rydberg excitations offer controllable interactions for quantum information processing, sensing, and nonlinear quantum optics.<n>New type of multi-photon addressing and interfacing scheme allows us to generate collective Rydberg excitations with near-zero momentum transfer.<n>This enables storage and manipulation of long-lived Rydberg spinwaves in a multimode quantum memory.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-07-24T16:29:53Z)
• Compressive Spectrum Sensing via Spectral Multiplexing in Rydberg Atomic Receiver [50.057865570993506]
  Rydberg-atomic receivers exhibit exceptional sensitivity yet are fundamentally constrained by the narrow instantaneous bandwidth.<n>We propose a spectral multiplexing framework implemented in a waveguide-coupled Rydberg atomic receiver.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-07-02T10:38:49Z)
• A Theory of Single-Antenna Atomic Beamforming [39.97146756876724]
  We present a theoretical analysis of the spatial responses of a standard local-oscillator (LO)- dressed Rydberg atomic receivers (RAREs)<n>Our results reveal that increasing the vapor-cell length produces a receive beam aligned with the LO field, with a beamwidth inversely proportional to the cell length.<n>We derive the achievable beamforming gain by characterizing and balancing the fundamental tradeoff between the effects of increasing the vapor cell length and the exponential power decay of laser propagating through the cell.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2026-01-26T12:35:43Z)
• Non-local mass superpositions and optical clock interferometry in atomic ensemble quantum networks [1.3163098222235898]
  Quantum networks are emerging as powerful platforms for sensing, communication, and fundamental tests of physics.<n>We propose a quantum sensing network based on entangled atomic ensembles, where optical clock qubits emulate mass superpositions in atom and atom-clock interferometry.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-09-23T19:18:25Z)
• Programmable Microwave Cluster States via Josephson Metamaterials [0.0]
  Cluster states are a fundamental resource for continuous-variable quantum computing.<n>We demonstrate on-demand generation of multimode entangled microwave cluster states.<n>This platform opens new avenues for scalable measurement-based quantum information processing.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-07-30T16:37:37Z)
• Time-bin qubit architecture using quantum Hall edge channels [0.0]
  We present the basic elements for a modular architecture for time-bin encoded qubits based on quantum Hall edge channels.<n>Quantum states are encoded in temporal separated edgeoplasm (EMP) packets.<n>EMP platform supports full qubit operations, readout, entbit contacts and electrostatic control of interferometric contact.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2025-07-27T09:19:49Z)
• Topological multi-mode waveguide QED [49.1574468325115]
  We show how to take advantage of topologically protected propagating modes by interfacing them with quantum emitters. Such capabilities pave the way for generating quantum gates among topologically protected photons as well as generating more complex entangled states of light in topological channels.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-07-05T14:48:50Z)
• Extensible circuit-QED architecture via amplitude- and frequency-variable microwaves [52.77024349608834]
  We introduce a circuit-QED architecture combining fixed-frequency qubits and microwave-driven couplers. Drive parameters appear as tunable knobs enabling selective two-qubit coupling and coherent-error suppression.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2022-04-17T22:49:56Z)
• Fano Resonances in Quantum Transport with Vibrations [50.591267188664666]
  Quantum mechanical scattering continuum states coupled to a scatterer with a discrete spectrum gives rise to Fano resonances. We consider scatterers that possess internal vibrational degrees of freedom in addition to discrete states.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-08-07T12:13:59Z)
• Tunable Anderson Localization of Dark States [146.2730735143614]
  We experimentally study Anderson localization in a superconducting waveguide quantum electrodynamics system. We observe an exponential suppression of the transmission coefficient in the vicinity of its subradiant dark modes. The experiment opens the door to the study of various localization phenomena on a new platform.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2021-05-25T07:52:52Z)
• Towards Integrating True Random Number Generation in Coherent Optical Transceivers [0.0]
  Commercial coherent transceiver sub-systems can support quantum random number generation next to classical data transmission. Time-interleaved random number generation is demonstrated for 10 Gbaud polarization-multiplexed quadrature phase shift keyed data transmission.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-07-20T15:50:10Z)
• High-Fidelity Entanglement and Detection of Alkaline-Earth Rydberg Atoms [48.093689931392866]
  Controlled two-qubit entanglement generation has so far been limited to alkali species. We demonstrate a novel approach utilizing the two-valence electron structure of individual alkaline-earth Rydberg atoms. We find fidelities for Rydberg state detection, single-atom Rabi operations, and two-atom entanglement surpassing previously published values.
  arXiv  Detail & Related papers  (2020-01-13T18:42:42Z)

This list is automatically generated from the titles and abstracts of the papers in this site.

This site does not guarantee the quality of this site (including all information) and is not responsible for any consequences.