Characterization and Evaluation of Rydberg Atom-Based Systems

As Rydberg atom-based field sensors become a new tool for field metrology, there is a need for standardized methods to characterize their components and performance. With the mission of the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop metrology methods for emerging technology, we have developed a testbed for evaluating Rydberg atom field sensors. The testbed is designed for both characterization of rubidium and cesium vapor cells used in Rydberg atom field sensors, as well as assessing the radio-frequency sensing performance. The testbed is capable of measuring saturated spectroscopy, electromagnetically induced transparency windows across a large number of Rydberg energy levels, and the response of the energy levels to known radio-frequency fields. The standardized measurement process allows comparison of results to standard spectroscopy-grade vapor cells.

In conjunction with vapor cell characterization, NIST has leveraged existing field strength metrology facilities to perform intercomparisons with existing field probes in standard electromagnetic fields. These facilities consist of transverse electromagnetic cells and an anechoic chamber for generating well-characterized electromagnetic fields. The testbed will be available to the community for evaluating Rydberg sensors.