Instrument Development for Atom-Based Millimeter Wave Sensing Using Two-Photon Rydberg Spectroscopy
Abstract
Increasing importance of millimeter wave (mmW) sensing and imaging in commercial and military sectors is driving the development of low-cost sensors. We request equipment to develop an atom-based instrument for demonstrating broadband mmW detection with high sensitivity and high dynamic range. We describe a scheme by which the sensitivity of the instrument can be vastly improved, paving the way for designing compact, low-cost mmW sensors. Our system utilizes laser excitations of atoms in rubidium vapor. Laser excited Rydberg atoms in the vapor medium will produce quantum coherence effects, which will be utilized to perform broadband mmW detection. The instrument will allow us to investigate the electro-optical response of Rydberg atoms, and evaluate their sensitivity in mmW electric-field measurements over a broad range of frequencies (20 Ð 200 GHz). Furthermore, we propose to demonstrate far-field mmW imaging using the instrument. This does not require a focal-plane detector array, which could be expensive and quite challenging to design. Instead, our instrument will use an elegant method based on direct imaging of the fluorescence pattern from the rubidium cell by placing it near the image plane of a lens-antenna. Developing this technique will help us determine the feasibility of designing a potentially low-cost mmW imaging device. The Division of Physical and Computational Sciences (DPCS) at DSU is offering thriving undergraduate degree programs in Physics and Engineering Physics, and graduate degree programs in Optics. We plan to engage two full-time undergraduate students and two full-time graduate students from DPCS in this project. Please refer to section 2.4 for more details. These students will participate in all aspects of the project, starting from instrument design/development to experimental investigations. This will create opportunities for conducting thesis projects in the atomic and optical physics discipline. We also intend to engage three to four undergraduate and high school students, and high school teachers in the project during the summer. The instrument will enhance the research capabilities at DSU. We also plan to extend its usage to student learning by preparing laboratory experiments and demonstrations in the Atomic Physics and Optics courses offered by DPCS.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 04, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910406
Entities
People
- G. S. Pati
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Delaware State University
- Office of the Secretary of Defense