Study of angle of arrival estimation with linear arrays of simulated Rydberg atom receivers

Rydberg atom receivers have the potential to supplement or replace traditional sensing technologies due to the theoretically high sensitivity, electrically small packaging, and unconventional field detection mechanisms they can provide. Given the importance of angle of arrival (AoA) estimation for geolocation and the potential impact of these technologies, more work is needed to understand the Rydberg sensor’s impact on AoA estimation. While there have been many experimental and theoretical efforts to improve the sensitivity and bandwidth of these quantum sensors, few papers have explored the impact these technologies will have on AoA estimation. This paper presents a numerical study of AoA estimation using a simulated linear array of Rydberg atom receivers consisting of vapor cells with laser-defined sense volumes. By utilizing atomic physics and electromagnetics simulations, it is shown that uncompensated atomic transient effects and RF geometric interactions in glass vapor cell arrays can substantially degrade AoA estimation when compared with a traditional dipole array.