Broadband Self-Calibrating Electric Field Sensors Based on Alkali Rydberg Atoms

ColdQuanta proposes the development of compact electric field sensors that operate from 1 to 1000 GHz and feature absolute accuracy better than 1%. These devices will utilize highly excited Rydberg atoms that are exceptionally sensitive to RF, microwave, and millimeter radiation. Featuring sensitivities of a few uV/cm, the accuracy of these devices will be at least one order of magnitude better than current state-of-the-art technologies. In addition, these sensors will be self-calibrating, allowing their high accuracy to be attained in the field without the need for relative standards or external calibration sources. These electric field sensors will utilize a hot vapor of Rb or Cs atoms contained in a miniature vacuum cell fabricated solely with dielectric materials and without metal or other electrically conductive materials. The cells will be combined with a laser system and electronics to form a complete sensor system. With dimensions less than one-quarter of a wavelength, spatial resolutions will approach 10 um, easily allowing for near-field measurements of antennas and other sources. In addition, these microcells can be easily arranged in a two-dimensional array, forming a complete imaging system for electromagnetic radiation.