Microwave electric field measurement based on Rydberg atoms

Microwave electric field measurement is one of most key technologies in the electronic information system, which have been widely used in the field of radar, communication, navigation, electromagnetic spectrum monitoring and so on. However, with the continuous improvement of application requirements, the traditional microwave electric field measurement technology faces great challenges in terms of receiving sensitivity, accuracy, operation bandwidth, antenna size, etc. Rydberg atoms have large electric dipole moments, which are extremely sensitive to external electric field, especially for the microwave electric field with resonance frequency between Rydberg energy levels. Based on Autler-Townes splitting and AC-Stark shift, Rydberg atoms can be used for high sensitivity measurement of microwave electric field. Furthermore, the technology based on Rydberg atoms is a new method of microwave electric field measurement, which is different from the traditional one. In this paper, the basic principle, latest research progress and technical characteristics of microwave electric field measurement technology based on Rydberg atoms are reviewed, and its development direction and application prospect are prospected.