Patent attributes
A microwave sensor determines an electric-field strength of a microwave field populated by quantum particles in an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) cell. A probe laser beam and a coupling laser beam are directed into the UHV cell so that they are generally orthogonal to each other and intersect to define a “Rydberg” intersection, so-called as the quantum particles within the Rydberg intersection transition to a pair of Rydberg states. The frequency of the probe laser beam is swept so that a frequency spectrum of the probe laser beam can be captured. The frequency spectrum is analyzed to determine a frequency difference between Autler-Townes peaks. The electric-field strength of the microwave field within the Rydberg intersection is then determined based on this frequency difference.
