research
Eight Meters of Light Keep a Microwave Receiver in Phase
A remote cesium Rydberg sensor recovered its local oscillator over an optical link and returned coherent microwave measurements without a remote clock.
Summary
A remote cesium Rydberg sensor recovered its local oscillator over an optical link and returned coherent microwave measurements without a remote clock.
Distributed microwave receivers usually need remote oscillators, local intermediate-frequency acquisition and clock synchronization. This experiment intensity-modulated a 3.989-gigahertz local oscillator onto an 852-nanometer optical probe, sent it over an eight-meter free-space link and recovered it at a cesium Rydberg-atom sensor. A test signal offset by five kilohertz produced an optically detected intermediate-frequency response that returned to the reference station. Over ten minutes, remote-versus-local phase had a standard deviation of 0.476 degrees and reached a minimum overlapping Allan deviation of 0.048 degrees near 200 seconds. After interrupting the optical link, phase recovered without recalibration, with a reported pre/post difference of 0.01 degrees. The laboratory demonstration supports future coherent arrays; it is not yet a fielded radar network.
Why it matters
A remote cesium Rydberg sensor recovered its local oscillator over an optical link and returned coherent microwave measurements without a remote clock.
Limits and context
- The laboratory demonstration supports future coherent arrays; it is not yet a fielded radar network.
Key claims
A remote cesium Rydberg sensor recovered its local oscillator over an optical link and returned coherent microwave measurements without a remote clock.
Qualification: The laboratory demonstration supports future coherent arrays; it is not yet a fielded radar network.
Evidence: source-2026-10-27-016
Sources
- arXiv preprint 2610.33552, original v1arXiv · primary research
Corrections
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