Broadband Rydberg-Atom Near-Field Imager for Phased Array Antennas

The fifth generation (5G) of mobile technologies will provide unprecedented improvements in connectivity, data speeds, latency, and bandwidth compared to existing 4G networks, enabling new military and commercial applications. In the military space, 5G will augment capabilities in intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems by addressing their growing demand for increased bandwidth and speed for information processing and dissemination, it will enable new approaches to and capability in command and control, including latency reduction in satellite communications, increased efficiency in military logistic and maintenance and similar high data capacity applications. Phased-array antennas are a major enabling technology to realize the potential of 5G and beyond. To address challenges in over-the-air (OTA) testing and measurement of phased array antennas for 5G, Rydberg Technologies will develop a near-field probe and imager based on Rydberg atom electromagnetic field measurement and imaging technology that exploits Rydberg atom vapors sensitive to millimeter-wave (MMW) fields from 28GHz to 300GHz.  In this Phase II effort, Rydberg will prototype a broadband Rydberg-atom near-field probe and imager for high-resolution, speed, accuracy, and self-calibrated near-field measurements of MMW antennas for 5G and beyond. The Rydberg MMW imager will be comprised of a front-end with a vapor-cell imager probe and imaging system in a low-profile form factor for near-field measurements of antenna devices under test (DUTs).  The front-end imager probe is connected to a back-end unit housing a laser, optics, and electronics package for readout from the atomic vapor of spatial MMW fields in the near-field of DUTs. Two-dimensional near-field images of MMW amplitude, phase, and polarization are rendered for near-field to far-field transformations.  In Phase II the Rydberg MMW imager will reach a technology readiness level 5 with a performance evaluation to target metrics for field amplitude, phase, and polarization accuracy, spatial resolution, and speed. Near-field imaging of 5G antennas will be demonstrated.