Antennaless 3D Sensors for Direction of Arrival estimation Based on Rydberg Atoms

Abstract

Antenna-arrays for Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) estimate are heavily limited by mutual coupling among sensors and between sensors and the installation environment. Huge efforts are devoted for calibration-based techniques that result not always decisive about compensating these unwanted coupling effects. In this paper we describe a possible application of Rydberg-atoms based sensors in the field of the DOA estimation. A principle fully-dielectric miniaturized 3D interferometer is presented, capable of providing both azimuth and elevation estimate of an incoming electromagnetic (EM) wave front thus overcoming the aforementioned limitations due to metal-based EM sensors (i.e. antennas).