Abstract: Alkali atoms have gained significant attention as electric- and magnetic-field sensors due to their well-understood electronic structure, optically accessible energy levels, and advances in fabrication technologies that enable miniaturisation. This seminar will discuss the physical principles and experimental methods for detecting electric- and magnetic-field using hot Rubidium vapour cells.

The first part of the seminar will focus on magnetic-field detection using optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). In particular, free-induction-decay (FID) magnetometry will be discussed in detail, with an emphasis on its ability to operate in ambient magnetic fields without requiring magnetic shielding. The second part will focus on highly excited Rydberg states of Rubidium for electric-field sensing. The principle of Autler–Townes splitting will be discussed, along with its detection through electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). This approach enables the detection of electric fields potentially from a few GHz to hundreds of GHz. The seminar concludes with an outline of the proposed research direction that would enable the development of sensitive and reliable Hot Rubidium detectors.

Event Details
Title: Detecting Electric and Magnetic Fields with Hot Alkali Atoms.
Date: October 27, 2026 at 03:00 PM
Venue: ESB 244
Speaker: Mr. Ashutosh Kumar Singh (EE23D404)
Guide: Dr. Anil Prabhakar
Type: PHD seminar

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