arXiv · 2502.20792
Cavity-Enhanced Rydberg Atomic Superheterodyne Receiver
Abstract
High-sensitivity measurements of the microwave electric field are important in applications of communication and metrology. \replaced{The sensitivity of traditional Rydberg superheterodyne receivers in free space is effectively determined by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which is often considered equivalent to sensitivity in practical sensing applications.}{The sensitivity of the traditional Rydberg superheterodyne receivers in free space is limited by signal-to-noise contrast.} In this work, we demonstrate a cavity-enhanced receiver, where an optical cavity significantly amplifies the interaction between the probe light and cesium atoms, which substantially improves the signal-to-noise ratio via enhancing the expansion coefficient \( \kappa \). \added{Here, $\kappa$ is the edge slope of the single peak obtained by fitting the double-peak EIT-AT spectrum, characterizing the response of the probe light to the frequency detuning of the coupling laser.}The sensitivity is thus boosted by a factor of approximately 19 dB. This study highlights the pivotal role of optical cavities in advancing Rydberg-based detection systems, offering a promising approach for high-sensitivity microwave electric field measurements.
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Yukang Liang, Qinxia Wang, Zhihui Wang, Shijun Guan, Pengfei Yang, Yuchi Zhang, Jun He, Pengfei Zhang, Gang Li, Tiancai Zhang. 2025-02-28. Cavity-Enhanced Rydberg Atomic Superheterodyne Receiver. https://doi.org/10.1364/oe.552016
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