Dispersive radio frequency electrometry using Rydberg atoms in a prism-shaped atomic vapor cell

We introduce a method to measure radio frequency (RF) electric fields (E-fields) using atoms contained in a prism-shaped vapor cell. The method utilizes the concept of electromagnetically induced transparency with Rydberg atoms. The RF E-field induces changes in the index of refraction of the vapor resulting in deflection of the probe laser beam as it passes through the prism-shaped vapor cell. We measured a minimum RF E-field of 8.25 mu Vcm(-1) with a sensitivity of similar to 46.5 mu Vcm(-1)Hz(-1/2). The experimental results agree with a numerical model that includes dephasing effects. We discuss possible improvements to obtain higher sensitivity for RF E-field measurements.