Low frequency electric field sensing with a Rydberg beam
Atomic Physics
2026-04-03 v1
Abstract
We present a method for performing low frequency electric field sensing via ionization detection of Rydberg atoms in a collimated atomic beam. A collimated beam avoids much of the electric field screening effects that are common in warm vapor cells due to the accumulation of alkali-metal atoms on glass surfaces. Further, a beam facilitates a spatially separated region for high signal-to-noise readout via ionization detection. Using this approach, we measure DC Stark shifts from external fields with frequencies as low as 1 Hz. The sensor demonstrates a sensitivity of better than 1 mV/m for frequencies above 20 Hz and mV/m above 500 Hz with a linear dynamic range of over 50 dB.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2604.01513,
title = {Low frequency electric field sensing with a Rydberg beam},
author = {Jeremy Glick and John R Dickson and Josie Wood and Paul Kunz},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.01513},
year = {2026}
}