Quantum-enabled electrometer measures field transients and correlation function

TL;DR

This paper presents a quantum electrometer using Rydberg atoms that can measure electric field transients and correlations with high sensitivity and nanosecond resolution, surpassing the Standard Quantum Limit.

Contribution

It introduces a novel quantum interference-based electrometer capable of directly measuring electric field correlation functions with high temporal resolution.

Findings

Achieved 83.2 mV/m sensitivity per atom.

Demonstrated 200 ns time resolution.

Surpassed Standard Quantum Limit in measurement sensitivity.

Abstract

We realize a non-invasive electrometer based on state engineering in a Rydberg hydrogenic manifold. A quantum interference process involving states with very different dipoles measures directly the time correlation of a stochastic electric field, with a 200~ns time resolution and with a $83.2\pm1.4$~mV/m single-atom sensitivity, beyond the Standard Quantum Limit in this context. This quantum-enabled correlation electrometer opens the way to applications in mesoscopic physics, e.g. for the study of individual charge transits in nano-structures.