High Angular Momentum Coupling for Enhanced Sensing in the VHF Band

Recent advances in Rydberg atom electrometry detail promising applications in radiofrequency (RF) communications. Presently, most applications use carrier frequencies greater than 1 GHz where resonant Autler-Townes splitting provides the highest antenna sensitivity. This letter documents a series of experiments with Rydberg atomic antennas to collect and process waveforms from the automated identification system (AIS) used in maritime navigation in the VHF band. This is difficult with conventional resonant Autler-Townes based Rydberg sensing. Measurements were taken using electrically induced transparency (EIT) in rubidium and cesium vapor cells. We show the results from a newly published method called High Angular Momentum Matching Excited Raman (HAMMER) that enhances low frequency detection and exhibits superior sensitivity compared to the traditional AC Stark effect detection. We show the relationship between incident electric field strength and observed signal to noise ratio. With these results, we estimate the useable range of the atomic vapor cell antenna for AIS waveforms given current technology and detection techniques.

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  "en"
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  "Physics:Atomic, molecular, and quantum"
]