- Open Access
Influence of frequency detuning on a four-level heterodyne Rydberg-atom receiver
Phys. Rev. A 113, 043114 – Published 13 April, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/zl3n-gd2k
Abstract
In recent years, quantum reception technology has achieved significant progress in microwave detection. However, most existing studies focus on energy-level resonance conditions, while research on the influence of frequency detuning is relatively scarce. Based on the four-level heterodyne Rydberg-atom receiver system, this paper establishes a theoretical model using the two-dimensional Fourier transform to analyze the correlation between frequency detuning and system response. Through theoretical simulation, the system response under different detuning conditions is quantitatively obtained, and the model is verified by experiment. This study expands the understanding of frequency detuning in Rydberg-atom receivers and provides guidance for designing their parameters in complex environments.
Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)
Article Text
References (23)
- B. Liu, L.-H. Zhang, Z.-K. Liu, Z.-Y. Zhang, Z.-H. Zhu, W. Gao, G.-C. Guo, D.-S. Ding, and B.-S. Shi, Highly sensitive measurement of a megahertz RF electric field with a Rydberg-atom sensor, Phys. Rev. Appl. 18, 014045 (2022).
- C. L. Holloway, J. A. Gordon, S. Jefferts, A. Schwarzkopf, D. A. Anderson, S. A. Miller, N. Thaicharoen, and G. Raithel, Broadband Rydberg atom-based electric-field probe for SI-traceable, self-calibrated measurements, IEEE Trans. Antennas Propag. 62, 6169 (2014).
- L. A. Downes, A. R. MacKellar, D. J. Whiting, C. Bourgenot, C. S. Adams, and K. J. Weatherill, Full-field terahertz imaging at kilohertz frame rates using atomic vapor, Phys. Rev. X 10, 011027 (2020).
- M. Jing, Y. Hu, J. Ma, H. Zhang, L. Zhang, L. Xiao, and S. Jia, Atomic superheterodyne receiver based on microwave-dressed Rydberg spectroscopy, Nat. Phys. 16, 911 (2020).
- H. Fan, S. Kumar, J. Sedlacek, H. Kübler, S. Karimkashi, and J. P. Shaffer, Atom based RF electric field sensing, J. Phys. B 48, 202001 (2015).
- C. L. Holloway, M. T. Simons, J. A. Gordon, and D. Novotny, Detecting and receiving phase-modulated signals with a Rydberg atom-based receiver, IEEE Antennas Wirel. Propag. Lett. 18, 1853 (2019).
- C. L. Holloway, M. T. Simons, A. H. Haddab, C. J. Williams, and M. W. Holloway, A “real-time” guitar recording using Rydberg atoms and electromagnetically induced transparency: Quantum physics meets music, AIP Adv. 9, 065110 (2019).
- C. L. Holloway, M. T. Simons, A. H. Haddab, J. A. Gordon, D. A. Anderson, G. Raithel, and S. D. Voran, A multiple-band Rydberg atom-based receiver: AM/FM stereo reception, IEEE Antennas Propag. Mag. 63, 63 (2019).
- D. H. Meyer, P. D. Kunz, and K. C. Cox, Waveguide-coupled Rydberg spectrum analyzer from 0 to 20 GHz, Phys. Rev. Appl. 15, 014053 (2021).
- J. S. Otto, M. K. Hunter, N. Kjærgaard, and A. B. Deb, Data capacity scaling of a distributed Rydberg atomic receiver array, J. Appl. Phys. 129, 154503 (2021).
- A. Artusio-Glimpse, M. T. Simons, N. Prajapati, and C. L. Holloway, Modern RF measurements with hot atoms: A technology review of Rydberg atom-based radio frequency field sensors, IEEE Microwave Mag. 23, 44 (2022).
- J. Hu, Y. Jiao, Y. He, H. Zhang, L. Zhang, J. Zhao, and S. Jia, Improvement of response bandwidth and sensitivity of Rydberg receiver using multi-channel excitations, EPJ Quantum Technol. 10, 51 (2023).
- J. Yuan, W. Yang, M. Jing, H. Zhang, Y. Jiao, W. Li, L. Zhang, L. Xiao, and S. Jia, Quantum sensing of microwave electric fields based on Rydberg atoms, Rep. Prog. Phys. 86, 106001 (2023).
- M. T. Simons, J. A. Gordon, C. L. Holloway, D. A. Anderson, S. A. Miller, and G. Raithel, Using frequency detuning to improve the sensitivity of electric field measurements via electromagnetically induced transparency and Autler-Townes splitting in Rydberg atoms, Appl. Phys. Lett. 108, 174101 (2016).
- L. Zhang, Y. Jia, M. Jing, L. Guo, H. Zhang, L. Xiao, and S. Jia, Detuning radio-frequency electrometry using Rydberg atoms in a room-temperature vapor cell, Laser Phys. 29, 035701 (2019).
- M. Cai, Z. Xu, S. You, and H. Liu, Sensitivity improvement and determination of Rydberg atom-based microwave sensor, Photonics 9, 250 (2022).
- S. Wu, C. Gong, S. Li, R. Ni, and J. Zhu, Rydberg atomic sensor sensitivity optimization using detuned microwave field, in 2022 31st Wireless and Optical Communications Conference (WOCC), Shenzhen (IEEE, Piscataway, 2022), pp. 181–186.
- J. Yao, Q. An, Y. Zhou, K. Yang, F. Wu, and Y. Fu, Sensitivity enhancement of far-detuned RF field sensing based on Rydberg atoms dressed by a near-resonant RF field, Opt. Lett. 47, 5256 (2022).
- W. Yang, M. Jing, H. Zhang, L. Zhang, L. Xiao, and S. Jia, Enhancing the sensitivity of atom-based microwave-field electrometry using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, Phys. Rev. Appl. 19, 064021 (2023).
- M. Sargent III, M. O. Scully, and W. E. Lamb, Jr., Laser Theory (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1974).
- S. Ren, Y. Tang, C. Yang, H. Zhou, and S. Wang, Research on dynamic solution analysis and applications based on the Rydberg atom superheterodyne structure, Opt. Express 32, 42397 (2024).
- L. F. Gonçalves, T. Zhang, G. Raithel, and D. A. Anderson, Non-linearities in atomic quantum receivers: Harmonic and intermodulation distortion, arXiv:2412.16366.
- D. H. Meyer, C. O'Brien, D. P. Fahey, K. C. Cox, and P. D. Kunz, Optimal atomic quantum sensing using electromagnetically-induced-transparency readout, Phys. Rev. A 104, 043103 (2021).