A Self-Calibrated SI-Traceable Rydberg Atom-Based Radio Frequency Electric Field Probe and Measurement Instrument

Abstract

We present a self-calibrating, SI-traceable broadband Rydberg-atom-based radio-frequency (RF) electric field probe (the Rydberg Field Probe or RFP) and measurement instrument (Rydberg Field Measurement System or RFMS). The RFMS comprises an atomic RF field probe (RFP), connected by a ruggedized fiber-optic patch cord to a portable mainframe control unit with a software interface for RF measurement and analysis including real-time field readout and RF waveform visualization. The instrument employs electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) readout of spectral signatures from RF-sensitive Rydberg states of an atomic vapor for continuous, pulsed, and modulated RF field measurement. The RFP exploits resonant and off-resonant Rydberg-field interactions to realize broadband RF measurements at frequencies ranging from ~10 MHz to sub-THz over a wide dynamic range. The RFMS incorporates an RF-field-free atomic reference and a laser-frequency tracker to ensure reliability and accuracy of the RF measurement. We characterize the RFP and measure polar field and polarization patterns of the RFP at 12.6 GHz RF in the far-field of a standard gain horn antenna. Measurements at 2.5 GHz are also performed. Measured patterns are in good agreement with simulations. A detailed calibration procedure and uncertainty analysis are presented that account for deviations from an isotropic response over a $4\pi$ solid angle, arising from dielectric structures external to the atomic measurement volume. Contributions to the measurement uncertainty from the fundamental atomic measurement method and associated analysis as well as material, geometry, and hardware design choices are accounted for. A calibration (C) factor is used to establish absolute-standard SI-traceable calibration of the RFP. Pulsed and modulated RF field measurement, and time-domain RF-pulse waveform imaging are also demonstrated.