English

Significant progress has been made in the research on the detection of microwave electric fields in the Rydberg area of Shanghai Institute of Optics and Technology

94
2024-05-08 15:36:49
See translation

Recently, the Aerospace Laser Technology and System Department of the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the East China Research Team of the Key Laboratory of Quantum Optics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, together with the research team of Professor Chen Liqing of East China Normal University, demonstrated a Rydberg microwave sensor with high sensitivity and high instantaneous bandwidth for the first time in rubidium Rydberg atoms. The related achievements are titled "Highly sensitive microwave electronics with enhanced instantaneous bandwidth" and published in the PHYSICAL VIEW APPLED (Letter).

Rydberg atoms are highly excited atoms with a large electric dipole moment and are highly sensitive to external electromagnetic fields. Therefore, it has been proposed to use the electromagnetic induced transparency (EIT) and Autler Townes (AT) effects of Rydberg atoms to measure microwave electric fields. The detection sensitivity and instantaneous bandwidth are key indicators for Rydberg microwave detection. Previously, based on Rydberg atomic superheterodyne detection technology, high sensitivity (55 nV cm? 1 Hz? 1/2) could be achieved, but its instantaneous bandwidth was limited to several hundred kilohertz. Having both high sensitivity and large instantaneous bandwidth is a challenge in the research field of Rydberg microwave electric field detection.

Based on six wave mixing technology, the research team experimentally demonstrated a Rydberg microwave sensor that achieves both high sensitivity and high instantaneous bandwidth in a rubidium Rydberg atomic gas chamber. With an instantaneous bandwidth of up to 10.2 MHz, the maximum detection sensitivity can reach 62nVcm-1Hz-1/2. Theoretical and experimental results indicate that the enhanced high-frequency response comes from the enhancement effect of the detection light negative sideband generated by the six wave mixing process. The research results will promote the application of Rydberg microwave sensing technology in radar and communication.

The related work has been supported by projects such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the experimental setup for the principle (a) of the Rydberg microwave sensor

(b) (c) Two six wave mixing processes that generate positive and negative sidebands

Figure 2 Sensitivity of Rydberg Microwave Sensor (a) Relationship between Superheterodyne Signal and Signal Microwave Power (b) Sensitivity Determined by System Noise

Source: Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Related Recommendations
  • Ultrafast laser technology continues to reach new heights

    Ultra short pulse lasers, such as femtosecond lasers, are increasingly becoming easy-to-use plug and play devices suitable for a wide range of industrial and biomedical applications. Fifteen years ago, the volume of these lasers was still very large, requiring daily cleaning of optical components, regular maintenance of cooling water, and continuous optimization of laser parameters. Nowada...

    2023-11-06
    See translation
  • The rare decay of the Higgs boson may point to physics beyond the standard model

    Particle physicists have detected for the first time a new decay of the Higgs boson, revealing subtle differences predicted by the standard model and potentially pointing to new physics beyond it. The research results are published in the journal Physical Review Letters.The theoretically predicted Higgs boson since the 1960s was finally discovered in the European CERN laboratory in 2012. As a quan...

    2024-01-26
    See translation
  • The use of laser equipment to recover refractory materials can reduce 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions

    Refractory material can withstand high temperature above 1500℃. They are essential materials for industrial furnaces that produce glass or ceramics, non-ferrous metals and steel. The service life of manufactured refractory products can range from a few days to many years, depending on the material, the temperature in the melting vessel and other operating parameters. As a result, although ...

    2023-09-04
    See translation
  • Micro ring resonators with enormous potential: hybrid devices significantly improve laser technology

    The team from the Photonic Systems Laboratory at the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne has developed a chip level laser source that can improve the performance of semiconductor lasers while generating shorter wavelengths.This groundbreaking work, led by Professor Camille Br è s and postdoctoral researcher Marco Clementi from the Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, represe...

    2023-12-11
    See translation
  • Researchers prepare a new type of optical material with highly tunable refractive index

    It is reported that researchers from Beijing University of Chemical Technology and BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd. have collaborated to develop a transparent organic-inorganic composite optical adhesive material with highly tunable refractive index. The related research paper was recently published in Engineering.In the early days, glass was the main raw material for optical components. In recent y...

    2024-06-25
    See translation