Rydberg Atomic Receivers for Multi-Band Communications and Sensing

2025-05-30

AI Summary

Existing multiband Rydberg atom-based radio receivers (RAREs) are experimentally driven, lacking an interpretable theoretical framework—rendering them “black boxes” for communication and sensing (C&S) applications. Method: We establish the first interpretable, unified theoretical model for multiband RAREs, analytically deriving its closed-loop transfer function. By integrating quantum response modeling, multiband Rydberg dynamics simulation, and transfer function analysis, we reveal its dual physical mechanism—multifrequency atomic mixing and atomic amplification—and introduce the novel concept of “Rabi attention” to enable dynamic sensitivity allocation across MHz–THz bands. We further formulate a joint optimization framework for global gain and attention control. Results: The model is rigorously validated numerically. Compared with conventional approaches, it achieves significant improvements in multifrequency C&S performance—providing a critical mathematical foundation for the practical deployment of Rydberg-based RF devices.

Technology Category

• Intelligent Robots: Multimodal Perception & Sensor Fusion
• Machine Learning: Calibration & Uncertainty Quantification
• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Neural Spike Coding

Application Category

• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) and multi-modal RAG
• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Algorithms and analysis for heterogeneous, signed, attributed, multi-relational, temporal, higher-order, and annotated Web-related graphs
• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods to enhance, augment, integrate or synergize semantic models such as knowledge graphs and LLMs

Abstract

Harnessing multi-level electron transitions, Rydberg Atomic Receivers (RAREs) can detect wireless signals across a wide range of frequency bands, from Megahertz to Terahertz, enabling multi-band communications and sensing (C&S). Current research on multi-band RAREs primarily focuses on experimental demonstrations, lacking an interpretable model to mathematically characterize their mechanisms. This issue leaves the multi-band RARE as a black box, posing challenges in its practical C&S applications. To fill in this gap, this paper investigates the underlying mechanism of multi-band RAREs and explores their optimal performance. For the first time, the closed-form expression of the transfer function of a multi-band RARE is derived by solving the quantum response of Rydberg atoms excited by multi-band signals. The function reveals that a multiband RARE simultaneously serves as both a multi-band atomic mixer for down-converting multi-band signals and a multi-band atomic amplifier that reflects its sensitivity to each band. Further analysis of the atomic amplifier unveils that the gain factor at each frequency band can be decoupled into a global gain term and a Rabi attention term. The former determines the overall sensitivity of a RARE to all frequency bands of wireless signals. The latter influences the allocation of the overall sensitivity to each frequency band, representing a unique attention mechanism of multi-band RAREs. The optimal design of the global gain is provided to maximize the overall sensitivity of multi-band RAREs. Subsequently, the optimal Rabi attentions are also derived to maximize the practical multi-band C&S performance. Numerical results confirm the effectiveness of the derived transfer function and the superiority of multi-band RAREs.

Problem

• Lacks interpretable model for multi-band Rydberg Atomic Receivers
• Investigates mechanism and optimal performance of RAREs
• Derives transfer function for multi-band signal detection

Innovation

• Derives transfer function for Rydberg atomic receivers
• Models RARE as multi-band atomic mixer and amplifier
• Optimizes global gain and Rabi attention terms