Rydberg atoms, or atoms with the outermost electron excited to a high orbital, make sensitive electric field sensors. Because the outer electron is only weakly bound to the core, any small electric field can significantly alter its wavefunction. Rydberg sensors make use of this by measuring either the change in energy of the Rydberg states or the transfer between Rydberg states induced by the fields. Because the valence electron and the core form a hydrogen-like system, these effects can be calculated, meaning that these sensors form primary (calibration-free) standards for electric fields. We give a background on Rydberg atom sensors of electromagnetic radiation and discuss their application to sensing blackbody radiation to form a primary thermometer.
Presented by: Noah K. Schlossberger, and Christopher L. Holloway
Electromagnetic Fields Group, National Institute of Standars and Technology (NIST)
U.S. Department of Commerce, Boulder Laboratories
Dr. Schlossberger received his Ph.D. in 2023 from JILA and the University of Colorado, where he contributed to the leading bound on the electron’s electron dipole moment. His is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where he works on new applications of Rydberg sensors.
Dr. Holloway is a NIST Fellow and a Fellow of the IEEE. He has been at NIST since 2000, where he works on electromagnetic theory, atomic physics, quantum optics, quantum-based sensors, and calibration standards. He is the Group Leader for the Electromagnetic Fields Group and the Project Leader for the Rydberg-Atom Sensor Project.
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