Large power dynamic range microwave electric field sensing in a vapor cell

Sensing of the microwave (MW) electric field with high accuracy and large power dynamic range has assisted in the implementation of metrology and communication. Here, an atom-based MW sensing system with a large linear power dynamic range for an electric field in the C band of 6.835 GHz is demonstrated in a vapor cell. The Rydberg electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) spectra involving 53D_5/2 state are employed to measure the medium intensity electric field by AC stark effect. On this basis, the heterodyne method, adding an auxiliary local oscillator (LO) MW field as a gain, is employed to measure the weak electric field. Finally, the strong electric field sensing is achieved by the atomic Rabi resonance when the coupling laser is turned off. As a result, the MW electric field measurements with a large linear power dynamic range of 101.6 dB are reached in a vapor cell by using multi-cooperative measurement methods. This work provides an effective approach for realizing the quantum MW sensing with high sensitivity and large power dynamic range.