Quantum 2025 – scientific programme
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MON: Monday Contributed Sessions
MON 16: Quantum Spectroscopy
MON 16.2: Talk
Monday, September 8, 2025, 16:45–17:00, ZHG004
Sensitivity and Bandwidth Trade-Off in Rydberg Atom Sensors: A Superheterodyne-Homodyne Approach — •Dixith Manchaiah1,2, Nikunjkumar Prajapati1, and Christopher L Holloway1 — 1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, US — 2University of Colorado, Boulder, US
Rydberg atom-based electric field sensors are emerging as powerful alternative to conventional antennas, offering high sensitivity and a broad frequency response. In this work, we explore the bandwidth and sensitivity of such sensors using Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium vapor cell. The bandwidth of Rydberg sensors is typically limited by atomic transit time and the Rabi frequency of the coupling laser. While reducing beam size can increase bandwidth, it often leads to reduced signal strength and lower sensitivity.
To address this trade-off, we employ a radio frequency(RF) superheterodyne technique combined with optical homodyne detection. This approach allows us to optimize the relationship between bandwidth and sensitivity of the sensor. We further explore the effects of probe and coupling Rabi frequencies, and modulation schemes with different symbol rates and beatnote frequencies to understand the sensor performance. These findings demonstrate a practical path toward developing high bandwidth, high sensitivity Rydberg sensors suitable for applications in communication, radar, and metrology.
Keywords: Electromagnetically Induced Transparency; Rydberg atoms; RF sensing; Sensitivity; Bandwidth