A method for atom-based closed-loop control includes exciting atoms of a gas into one or more Rydberg states, applying one or more signal processing functions to the one or more Rydberg states, and regulating a characteristic of the applied one or more signal processing functions based on, at least in part, a response of the one or more Rydberg states to the one or more signal processing functions. A system for internal quantum-state-space interferometry includes an atomic receiver, an interferometric pathway, and a detector. The interferometer includes an atomic vapor with first atomic states and second atomic states. The interferometric pathway from RF phases between the first and second atomic states is closed by a quantum-state-space. The detector is configured to detect a readout of an interferometric signal. Embodiments include atom-based automatic level control, baseband processors, phase-locked loops, voltage transducers, raster RF imagers and waveform analyzers.

One embodiment includes an electrometer system. The system includes a sensor cell comprising alkali metal atoms within, and an optical beam system configured to provide at least one optical beam through the sensor cell to provide a first Rydberg energy state of the alkali metal atoms, the at least one optical beam exiting the sensor cell as a detection beam. The system also includes a tuning signal generator configured to generate a tuning signal having a predetermined tuning frequency to adjust an energy difference between the first Rydberg energy state and a second Rydberg energy state of the alkali metal atoms. The system further includes a detection system configured to monitor the detection beam to detect an external signal having a frequency that is approximately equal to the energy difference between the first Rydberg energy state and the second Rydberg energy state based on monitoring the detection beam.

One embodiment includes an electrometer system. The system includes a sensor cell comprising alkali metal atoms within, and a probe laser configured to generate a probe beam, the probe beam being provided through the sensor cell. The system also includes a coupling laser configured to generate a coupling beam. The coupling beam can be provided through the sensor cell to combine with the probe beam provided through the sensor cell to provide a Rydberg energy state of the alkali metal atoms, the probe beam exiting the sensor cell as a detection beam. The system further includes a sensor control system configured to monitor the detection beam to detect an external signal based on monitoring a phase of the detection beam.

Methods and apparatus for sensing or measuring an electromagnetic field. The method entails excitation into a distribution of Rydberg states of atoms of a gas occupying a test volume coextensive with the electromagnetic field. Transmission along a path traversing the test volume of at least one probe beam of electromagnetic radiation is measured at one or more frequencies overlapping a spectral feature, and a physical characteristic of the electromagnetic field is derived on the basis of variation of the spectral feature. In various embodiments, the electromagnetic field may be place in interferometric relation with another electromagnetic field. Time-varying electric field amplitude, frequency, phase and noise spectral distribution may be measured, and thus AM and FM modulated fields, as well as magnetic fields of about 1 Tesla. The apparatus for measuring the electromagnetic field may be unilaterally coupled to a probe field and detector or array of detectors.

One embodiment includes an electrometer system that includes a sensor cell and a probe laser to generate a probe beam directed through the sensor cell in a first direction and exiting the sensor cell as a detection beam. The system also includes a coupling laser to generate a coupling beam directed through the sensor cell collinearly and anti-parallel with the probe beam. The system also includes a reference signal generator configured to generate a reference signal having a predetermined polarization and a predetermined frequency through the sensor cell. The system further includes a detection system configured to monitor the detection beam to determine a frequency and a vector component of an external signal based on an intensity of the detection beam and based on the predetermined polarization and the predetermined frequency of the reference signal.

This invention relates to an electromagnetic field receiver controller including a first and second optical transmitter, a transmission medium and an optical receiver. The first optical transmitter is configured to transmit a probe signal to the optical receiver via the transmission medium at a probe frequency and the second transmitter is configured to transmit a coupling signal via the transmission medium at a coupling frequency, wherein the probe frequency is set to excite electrons of the transmission medium from a ground state to a first excited state and the coupling frequency is set to excite electrons of the transmission medium to a predetermined excited state so as to induce an Electromagnetic Induced Transparency (EIT) effect in the electromagnetic field receiver such that an incident electromagnetic field at the transmission medium causes a detectable change in power of the probe signal at the optical receiver.

The inventive system for analyzing electromagnetic radiation comprises: an enclosure filled with gas containing atoms of a known type, at least one light source emitting light capable of exciting the atoms of the known type in the gas, a source of the electromagnetic radiation to be analyzed arranged such that the emitted electromagnetic radiation acts on the atoms of the known type in the gas, and a sensor for capturing light emitted by and/or passed through the gas. Further, the system comprises an electrical field source and/or magnetic field source configured to establish a predefined electrical field and/or magnetic field acting on the atoms of the known type in the gas. The light captured by the sensor reflects a response of the atoms of the known type in the gas on the electrical field and/or the magnetic fields, the light from the at least one light source, and the electromagnetic radiation to be analyzed.

One embodiment includes an electrometer system. The system includes a sensor cell comprising alkali metal atoms within, and a probe laser configured to generate a probe beam, the probe beam being provided through the sensor cell. The system also includes a coupling laser configured to generate a coupling beam. The coupling beam can be provided through the sensor cell to combine with the probe beam provided through the sensor cell to provide a Rydberg energy state of the alkali metal atoms, the probe beam exiting the sensor cell as a detection beam. The system further includes a sensor control system configured to monitor the detection beam to detect an external signal based on monitoring a phase of the detection beam.

A method for atom-based closed-loop control includes exciting atoms of a gas into one or more Rydberg states, applying one or more signal processing functions to the one or more Rydberg states, and regulating a characteristic of the applied one or more signal processing functions based on, at least in part, a response of the one or more Rydberg states to the one or more signal processing functions. A system for internal quantum-state-space interferometry includes an atomic receiver, an interferometric pathway, and a detector. The interferometer includes an atomic vapor with first atomic states and second atomic states. The interferometric pathway from RF phases between the first and second atomic states is closed by a quantum-state-space. The detector is configured to detect a readout of an interferometric signal. Embodiments include atom-based automatic level control, baseband processors, phase-locked loops, voltage transducers, raster RF imagers and waveform analyzers.

In a general aspect, a system for sensing pulses of radio frequency (RF) fields includes a laser system and a vapor cell sensor. The laser system is configured to generate beams of light that include a probe beam of light. The vapor cell sensor has a vapor therein and is configured to allow the beams of light to pass through the vapor. The system also includes an optical detector configured to generate a detector signal based on the probe beam of light. The system includes a signal processing system configured to perform operations that include receiving the detector signal from the optical detector over a time period. The operations also include generating a digital signal based on the detector signal and applying a matched filter to the digital signal to generate a filtered signal. The filtered signal is processed to determine properties of an RF field experienced by the vapor.