Multi-Dress-State Engineered Rydberg Electrometry: Achieving 100-MHz-level Instantaneous-Bandwidth

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel multi-dress-state engineered superheterodyne detection scheme for Rydberg electrometry, achieving a record sensitivity of 140.4 nV/cm/Hz^{1/2} and an instantaneous bandwidth of 54.6 MHz in thermal rubidium vapor, advancing microwave sensing capabilities.

Contribution

It presents a new multi-dress-state engineering approach that significantly enhances the bandwidth of Rydberg-based microwave sensors while maintaining high sensitivity.

Findings

Achieved 54.6 MHz instantaneous bandwidth in Rydberg electrometry.

Demonstrated a sensitivity of 140.4 nV/cm/Hz^{1/2}.

Bridged the gap between atomic sensing and practical MW applications.

Abstract

Rydberg atoms, with their giant electric dipole moments and tunable energy-level transitions, offer exceptional potential for microwave (MW) electric field sensing, combining high sensitivity and broad frequency coverage. However, simultaneously achieving high sensitivity and wide instantaneous bandwidth in a Rydberg-based MW transducer remains a critical challenge. Here, we propose a multi-dress-state engineered superheterodyne detection scheme for Rydberg electrometry that exploits a detuning-dependent dual-peak response structure and a Rabi-frequency-driven dip-lifting effect to overcome the limitation on instantaneous bandwidth. By strategically engineering the multiple dress states of Rydberg atoms, we demonstrate a thermal $\mathrm{^{87}Rb}$ vapor-based transducer with a record sensitivity of $\mathrm{140.4\,nV\,cm^{-1}\,Hz^{-1/2}}$ and an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 54.6$\,$MHz. The performance metrics are now approaching the practical requirements of modern MW receivers (100-MHz-level) in certain application fields. This advancement bridges the gap between atomic sensing and real-world applications, paving the way for Rydberg-atom technologies in radar,wireless communication, and spectrum monitoring.