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High-resolution antenna near-field imaging andsub-THz measurements with a small atomicvapor-cell sensing element

Published

Author(s)

Christopher L. Holloway, Dave Anderson, Georg Raithel

Abstract

Atomic sensing and measurement of millimeterwave (mmW) and THz electric fields using quantum-optical EIT spectroscopy of Rydberg states in atomic vapors has garnered significant interest in recent years towards the development of atomic electric-field standards and sensor technologies. Here we describe recent work employing small atomic vapor cell sensing elements for near-field imaging of the radiation pattern of a Ku- band horn antenna at 13.49 GHz. We image fields at a spatial resolution of =10 and measure over a 72 to 240 V/m field range using off-resonance AC-Stark shifts of a Rydberg resonance. The same atomic sensing element is used to measure sub-THz electric fields at 255 GHz, an increase in mmW-frequency by more than one order of magnitude. The sub-THz field is measured over a continuous 100 MHz frequency band using a near-resonant mmW atomic transition.
Proceedings Title
GSMM 2018
Conference Dates
June 22-26, 2018
Conference Location
Boulder, CO, US

Keywords

Atomic sensors, quantum sensing, Rydberg, atom, millimeter-wave, mmW, terahertz, THz, microwave, electric field, metrology, antenna, antenna characterization.

Citation

Holloway, C. , Anderson, D. and Raithel, G. (2018), High-resolution antenna near-field imaging andsub-THz measurements with a small atomicvapor-cell sensing element, GSMM 2018, Boulder, CO, US, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=926077 (Accessed October 7, 2025)

Issues

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Created May 21, 2018, Updated April 19, 2022
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