Sensitivity extension of atom-based amplitude-modulation microwave electrometry via high Rydberg states

The Rydberg atom-based microwave electric field sensor has high sensitivity for weak RF-field detection. Selection of Rydberg states with larger electric dipole moment is beneficial to enhance the sensitivity, and we choose Rydberg states with its principal quantum number up to n similar to 80. We study the probe laser transmission response to a microwave field for these chosen high Rydberg states at room temperature. It agrees well with theoretical simulation based on an optical Bloch equation with considered microwave-atom interaction and Doppler broadening effect. In our experiment, the microwave sensing sensitivity based on 85Rb transition vertical bar 78S > -> vertical bar 78P(3/2)> arrives at 5.102(49) nV cm(-1) Hz(-1/2) at 1 kHz. Published under an exclusive license by AIP Publishing.