Detection of twisted radiowaves with Rydberg atoms

TL;DR

This paper proposes two Rydberg-atom based detection schemes for twisted radiowaves, capable of sensing very low power sources, advancing quantum sensing technologies for structured electromagnetic waves.

Contribution

It introduces novel Rydberg-atom based detector schemes specifically designed for twisted radiowaves, including nondipole transition and antenna array methods.

Findings

Detectors can record sources with power down to several nanowatts.

Two distinct detection schemes are theoretically modeled.

Potential for high-sensitivity detection of structured radio waves.

Abstract

The dynamics of the outer electron in an alkali atom in the presence of structured electromagnetic waves is described. The interaction of the alkali Rydberg atom with twisted radiowaves is considered. The two schemes for Rydberg-atom based detector of twisted radiowaves are proposed. According to the theoretical model for these detectors, they can record a source of twisted radiowaves with power down to several nW. The first scheme of the detector employs the nondipole transitions between Rydberg states induced by twisted radio photons. The second scheme involves the array of Rydberg-atom based antennas, every antenna measuring the dipole transitions excited by plane radiowaves comprising the twisted one.