Photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver and measuring a radio frequency electric field

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12188969-B2
Application number	US-202217879704-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2022
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Jan 7, 2025
Grant date	Jan 7, 2025

Abstract

A photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver includes: an integrated photonic chip; an atomic vapor cell; and a receiver member including: a photonic emitter; probe light reflectors disposed on the atomic vapor cell; and coupling light reflectors disposed on the atomic vapor cell such that the pair of coupling light reflectors is optically opposed across the interior vapor space and receives and reflects the coupling laser light so that the coupling laser light is reflected between the coupling light reflectors multiple times in the interior vapor space of the atomic vapor cell.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) for measuring a radio frequency electric field of a radio frequency field ( 5 ), the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) comprising:
an integrated photonic chip ( 2 );
at least one atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) hermetically disposed on the integrated photonic chip ( 2 ) and that receives an atomic vapor ( 13 ) and that comprises a cell wall ( 18 ) that bounds an interior vapor space ( 17 ), such that the atomic vapor ( 13 ) is disposed in the interior vapor space ( 17 ) and that:
receives probe laser light ( 6 ) from a photonic emitter ( 8 ) and coupling laser light ( 7 ), such that probe laser light ( 6 ) and a coupling laser light ( 7 ) overlappingly counter-propagate through the interior vapor space ( 17 ) in multiple locations in the interior vapor space ( 17 ); and
receives a radio frequency field ( 5 ) from a radiofrequency source ( 23 ), such that the atomic vapor ( 13 ) receives the radio frequency field ( 5 ) and responds by changing energy of quantum levels in response to the radio frequency field ( 5 ); and

at least one receiver member ( 9 ) comprising:
a photonic emitter ( 8 ) disposed on the integrated photonic chip ( 2 ) and in optical communication with the interior vapor space ( 17 ) of the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) and that receives probe laser light ( 6 ) and communicates the probe laser light ( 6 ) to the interior vapor space ( 17 );
a pair of probe light reflectors ( 19 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) such that the pair of probe light reflectors ( 19 ) is optically opposed across the interior vapor space ( 17 ) and receives and reflects the probe laser light ( 6 ) so that the probe laser light ( 6 ) is reflected between the probe light reflectors ( 19 ) multiple times in the interior vapor space ( 17 ); and
a pair of coupling light reflectors ( 20 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) such that the pair of coupling light reflectors ( 20 ) is optically opposed across the interior vapor space ( 17 ) and receives and reflects the coupling laser light ( 7 ) so that the coupling laser light ( 7 ) is reflected between the coupling light reflectors ( 20 ) multiple times in the interior vapor space ( 17 ),

such that the probe light reflectors and coupling light reflectors are arranged to provide a folded optical interaction path of the probe laser light and the coupling laser light in the atomic vapor cell.

2. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling laser integrator ( 3 ) disposed on the integrated photonic chip ( 2 ) and that receives the coupling laser light ( 7 ) and communicates the coupling laser light ( 7 ) to the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

3. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a reference RF emitter ( 10 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) and that communicates a reference RF field ( 11 ) to the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

4. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 3 , wherein the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) is calibrated from the reference RF emitter ( 10 ).

5. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a detector ( 4 ) in optical communication with the interior vapor space ( 17 ) and that receives the coupling laser light ( 7 ) exiting from the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

6. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a radiofrequency source ( 23 ) in communication with the interior vapor space ( 17 ) and that communicates the radio frequency field ( 5 ) to the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

7. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a probe light antireflector ( 21 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) and that is an antireflective coating for the wavelength of the probe laser light ( 6 ).

8. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a coupling light antireflector ( 22 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) and that is an antireflective coating for the wavelength of the coupling laser light ( 7 ).

9. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , wherein the probe laser light ( 6 ) and coupling laser light ( 7 ) interrogate the Rydberg state of the atomic vapor ( 13 ), such that the atomic vapor ( 13 ) is transparent to the probe laser light ( 6 ) in an absence of the radio frequency field ( 5 ) through the atomic vapor ( 13 ) in the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

10. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , wherein the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) comprises a plurality of the receiver members ( 9 ).

11. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 10 , wherein the receiver members ( 9 ) are arranged in an array.

12. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 11 , wherein the array is a linear array disposed laterally along the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ).

13. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 11 , wherein the array is a two-dimensional array disposed laterally along the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ).

14. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 13 , wherein, in the two-dimensional array, the receiver members ( 9 ) are arranged in rows and columns along the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ).

15. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , wherein the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) comprises a plurality of the atomic vapor cells ( 1 ) and a plurality of the receiver members ( 9 ), such that and each atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) is optically interrogated by at least one receiver member ( 9 ).

16. The photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) of claim 1 , further comprising a multiplexed detection system that receives the probe laser light ( 6 ) that exits from the interior vapor space ( 17 ), wherein the amount of the probe laser light ( 6 ) that exits from the interior vapor space ( 17 ) depends on the radio frequency electric field of the radio frequency field ( 5 ) interacting with the Rydberg atoms in the interior vapor space ( 17 ); and that determines the radio frequency electric field of the radio frequency field ( 5 ) at multiple spatial locations of the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) from the probe laser light ( 6 ) that exits from the interior vapor space ( 17 ).

17. A process for measuring a radio frequency electric field of a radio frequency field ( 5 ) with a photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ), the process comprising:
performing the process with the photonic Rydberg atom radio frequency receiver ( 200 ) that comprises:
an integrated photonic chip ( 2 );
at least one atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) hermetically disposed on the integrated photonic chip ( 2 ) in which is disposed an atomic vapor ( 13 ) and that comprises a cell wall ( 18 ) that bounds an interior vapor space ( 17 ), such that the atomic vapor ( 13 ) is disposed in the interior vapor space ( 17 ); and
at least one receiver member ( 9 ) comprising:
a photonic emitter ( 8 ) disposed on the integrated photonic chip ( 2 ) and in optical communication with the interior vapor space ( 17 ) of the atomic vapor cell ( 1 );
a pair of probe light reflectors ( 19 ) disposed on the atomic vapor cell ( 1 ) such that the pair of probe light reflectors ( 19 )

Assignees

• Government Of The Us Secretary Of Commerce

Inventors

• Aksyuk Vladimir Anatolyevich
• Holloway Christopher Lee
• Simons Matthew Thomas
• Artusio-Glimpse Alexandra Brea

Classifications

• G01R29/0892

  Details related to signal analysis or treatment; presenting results, e.g. displays; measuring specific signal features other than field strength, e.g. polarisation, field modes, phase, envelope, maximum value · CPC title

• H04B10/70

  Photonic quantum communication · CPC title

• G01R33/02

  Measuring direction or magnitude of magnetic fields or magnetic flux (G01R33/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01R33/0029

  Treating the measured signals, e.g. removing offset or noise · CPC title

• G01R33/0094

  Sensor arrays · CPC title