arXiv subjects

Kaitlin R. Moore

Publications and source records attributed to Kaitlin R. Moore.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

SI-Traceable Calibration and Performance Benchmarking of a Terahertz Photomixer Transmitter-Receiver System Using a Rydberg Atomic Sensor

Accurate calibration of electromagnetic field strength in the terahertz (THz) frequency regime remains challenging due to the limited availability of SI-traceable field sensors. Here we demonstrate SI-traceable calibration and performance benchmarking of a commercial photomixer-based THz transmitter-receiver system operating near 204 GHz using Rydberg electric-field sensing in a thermal atomic vapor. The THz electric field is extracted from the Autler-Townes (AT) effect of the cesium $17D_{5/2}\rightarrow18P_{3/2}$ Rydberg transition. We measure the strength of AT-split lines as a function of THz detuning from resonance to find the on-resonant Rabi frequency, which, together with atomic transition dipole moments and fundamental constants, yields the THz electric field. The atomically measured field calibrates the photomixer transmitter field and power, while simultaneous measurements with a commercial InGaAs photomixer receiver calibrate the receiver's current-to-field responsivity and convert its current-noise floor into an absolute noise-equivalent THz electric-field sensitivity. Our study demonstrates that Rydberg atomic sensors provide a practical method for SI-traceable calibration and benchmarking of THz transmitter and receiver systems, and for the establishment of a quantitative link between state-of-the-art and absolute atom-based THz sensors.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2024

Demonstration of atom interrogation using photonic integrated circuits anodically bonded to ultra-high vacuum envelopes for epoxy-free scalable quantum sensors

Reliable integration of photonic integrated circuits (PICs) into quantum sensors has the potential to drastically reduce sensor size, ease manufacturing scalability, and improve performance in applications where the sensor is subject to high accelerations, vibrations, and temperature changes. In a traditional quantum sensor assembly, free-space optics are subject to pointing inaccuracies and temperature-dependent misalignment. Moreover, the use of epoxy or sealants for affixing either free-space optics or PICs within a sensor vacuum envelope leads to sensor vacuum degradation and is difficult to scale. In this paper, we describe the hermetic integration of a PIC with a vacuum envelope via anodic bonding. We demonstrate utility of this assembly with two proof-of-concept atom-interrogation experiments: (1) spectroscopy of a cold-atom sample using a grating-emitted probe; (2) spectroscopy of alkali atoms using an evanescent field from an exposed ridge waveguide. This work shows a key process step on a path to quantum sensor manufacturing scalability

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Independent Rydberg Atom Sensing using a Dual-Ladder Scheme

Rydberg atom-based electric field sensing can provide all-optical readout of radio frequency fields in a dielectric environment. However, because a single set of optical fields is typically used to prepare the Rydberg state and read out its response to RF fields, it is challenging to perform simultaneous and independent measurements of the RF field(s). Here we show that using two independent schemes to prepare and read out the same Rydberg state can be used to perform independent measurements in general, which we demonstrate specifically by resolving the the RF polarization. We expect this work will be useful for fiber-coupled sensor heads where spatial multiplexing is challenging, as well as for complex multi-level sensing schemes.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2023

Phase-Resolved Rydberg Atom Field Sensing using Quantum Interferometry

Although Rydberg atom-based electric field sensing provides key advantages over traditional antenna-based detection, it remains limited by the need for a local oscillator (LO) for low-field and phase resolved detection. In this work, we demonstrate that closed-loop quantum interferometric schemes can be used to generate a system-internal reference that can directly replace an external LO for Rydberg field sensing. We reveal that this quantum-interferometrically defined internal reference phase and frequency can be used analogously to a traditional LO for atom-based down-mixing to an intermediate frequency for lock-in phase detection. We demonstrate that this LO-equivalent functionality provides analogous benefits to an LO, including full 360$^\circ$ phase resolution as well as improved sensitivity. The general applicability of this approach is confirmed by demodulating a four phase-state signal broadcast on the atoms. Our approach opens up new sensing schemes and provides a clear path towards all-optical Rydberg atom sensing implementations.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2020

Enhanced observation time of magneto-optical traps using micro-machined non-evaporable getter pumps

We show that micro-machined non-evaporable getter pumps (NEGs) can extend the time over which laser cooled atoms canbe produced in a magneto-optical trap (MOT), in the absence of other vacuum pumping mechanisms. In a first study, weincorporate a silicon-glass microfabricated ultra-high vacuum (UHV) cell with silicon etched NEG cavities and alumino-silicateglass (ASG) windows and demonstrate the observation of a repeatedly-loading MOT over a 10 minute period with a single laser-activated NEG. In a second study, the capacity of passive pumping with laser activated NEG materials is further investigated ina borosilicate glass-blown cuvette cell containing five NEG tablets. In this cell, the MOT remained visible for over 4 days withoutany external active pumping system. This MOT observation time exceeds the one obtained in the no-NEG scenario by almostfive orders of magnitude. The cell scalability and potential vacuum longevity made possible with NEG materials may enable inthe future the development of miniaturized cold-atom instruments.

physics.atom-ph↗

arXiv2014

Forbidden atomic transitions driven by an intensity-modulated laser trap

Spectroscopy is an essential tool in understanding and manipulating quantum systems, such as atoms and molecules. The model describing spectroscopy includes a multipole-field interaction, which leads to established spectroscopic selection rules, and an interaction that is quadratic in the field, which is often neglected. However, spectroscopy using the quadratic (ponderomotive) interaction promises two significant advantages over spectroscopy using the multipole-field interaction: flexible transition rules and vastly improved spatial addressability of the quantum system. For the first time, we demonstrate ponderomotive spectroscopy by using optical-lattice-trapped Rydberg atoms, pulsating the lattice light at a microwave frequency, and driving a microwave atomic transition that would otherwise be forbidden by established spectroscopic selection rules. This new ability to measure frequencies of previously inaccessible transitions makes possible improved determinations of atomic characteristics and constants underlying physics. In the spatial domain, the resolution of ponderomotive spectroscopy is orders of magnitude better than the transition frequency (and the corresponding diffraction limit) would suggest, promising single-site addressability in a dense particle array for quantum control and computing applications. Future advances in technology may allow ponderomotive spectroscopy to be extended to ground-state atoms and trapped molecules.

physics.atom-ph↗