Simultaneous multi-band radio-frequency detection using high-orbital-angular-momentum states in a Rydberg-atom receiver

Abstract

We demonstrate simultaneous detection of radio-frequency (RF) fields ranging from the very high-frequency (VHF) band (128 MHz) to terahertz frequencies (0.61 THz) using a caesium Rydberg-atom receiver. The RF fields are concurrently applied to a series of atomic transitions involving states of increasing orbital angular momentum, where the energy separations become progressively smaller, allowing access to a very wide range of radio frequencies. We show that the optical response of the system in the presence of the RF fields can be reproduced theoretically using a simple Lindblad-master-equation approach. Furthermore, we demonstrate experimentally that a series of amplitude-modulated tones can be detected simultaneously using multiple carrier frequencies. This demonstration opens the way for RF communications across multiple bands simultaneously using a single optical receiver.