Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Rydberg atoms, with their large transition dipole moments and extreme sensitivity to electric fields, have attracted widespread attention as promising candidates for next-generation quantum precision electrometry. Meanwhile, exceptional points (EPs) in non-Hermitian systems have opened new avenues for ultrasensitive metrology. Despite increasing interest in non-Hermitian physics, EP-enhanced sensitivity has rarely been explored in Rydberg atomic platforms. Here, we provide a new theoretical understanding of Autler-Townes effect-based Rydberg electrometry under non-Hermitian conditions, showing that dissipation fundamentally modifies the spectral response and enables sensitivity enhancement via EP-induced nonlinearity. Experimentally, we realize a second-order EP in a passive thermal Rydberg system without requiring gain media or cryogenics, and demonstrate the first EP-enhanced atomic electrometer. The EP can be tuned in real time by adjusting laser and microwave parameters, forming a flexible and scalable platform. Near the EP, the system exhibits a square-root response, yielding a nearly 20-fold enhancement in responsivity. Using amplitude-based detection, we achieve a sensitivity of 22.68(3) nV cm^{-1} Hz^{-1/2} under realistic conditions. Our Letter establishes a practical, tunable platform for EP-enhanced sensing and real-time control, with broad implications for quantum metrology in open systems.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/jptr-pm37
Authors: Chao Liang, Ce Yang, Wei Huang, Li You
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4415112554