A millimeter-wave atomic receiver

Abstract

Rydberg quantum sensors are sensitive to radio-frequency fields across an ultra-wide frequency range spanning megahertz to terahertz electromagnetic waves resonant with Rydberg atom dipole transitions. Here, we demonstrate an atomic millimeter-wave heterodyne receiver employing continuous-wave lasers stabilized to an optical frequency comb. We characterize the atomic receiver in the W-band at a signal frequency of f = 95.992 512 GHz and demonstrate a sensitivity of 7.9 μV/m/Hz with a linear dynamic range in power greater than 70 dB. We develop frequency selectivity metrics for atomic receivers and demonstrate their use in our millimeter-wave receiver, including signal rejection levels at signal frequency offsets Δf/f = 10−4, 10−5, and 10−6; 3, 6, 9, and 12-dB bandwidths; filter roll-off; and shape factor analysis. Our work represents an important advance toward future studies and applications of atomic receiver science and technology in weak millimeter-wave and high-frequency signal detection.