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    Exceptional Point-Enhanced Rydberg Atomic Electrometers

    Chao Liang1,2,*, Ce Yang3, Wei Huang3, and Li You2,4,5,6

    • *Contact author: liangchao@btifii.org.cn

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 053203 – Published 5 February, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/jptr-pm37

    Abstract

    Rydberg atoms, with their large transition dipole moments and extreme sensitivity to electric fields, have attracted widespread attention as promising candidates for next-generation quantum precision electrometry. Meanwhile, exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems have opened new avenues for ultrasensitive metrology. Despite increasing interest in non-Hermitian physics, EP-enhanced sensitivity has rarely been explored in Rydberg atomic platforms. Here, we provide a new theoretical understanding of Autler-Townes effect-based Rydberg electrometry under non-Hermitian conditions, showing that dissipation fundamentally modifies the spectral response and enables sensitivity enhancement via EP-induced nonlinearity. Experimentally, we realize a second-order EP in a passive thermal Rydberg system without requiring gain media or cryogenics, and demonstrate the first EP-enhanced atomic electrometer. The EP can be tuned in real time by adjusting laser and microwave parameters, forming a flexible and scalable platform. Near the EP, the system exhibits a square-root response, yielding a nearly 20-fold enhancement in responsivity. Using amplitude-based detection, we achieve a sensitivity of 22.68(3)  nV cm−1 Hz−1/2 under realistic conditions. Our Letter establishes a practical, tunable platform for EP-enhanced sensing and real-time control, with broad implications for quantum metrology in open systems.

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