Benchmarking sensitivity of fluorescence‑based Rydberg THz imaging

Benchmark the sensitivity of fluorescence‑based Rydberg‑atom terahertz imaging against conventional passive THz detectors using common metrics (e.g., noise‑equivalent power or temperature) to enable fair performance comparison.

Background

Fluorescence imaging with Rydberg atoms has demonstrated high‑frame‑rate THz imaging and near‑field mapping, but its sensitivity has not been compared using the standard figures of merit employed for passive radiometers.

A rigorous comparison is needed to position fluorescence‑based THz imagers within the broader detector landscape and to assess their suitability for spaceborne passive sensing.

References

The sensitivity of this method has not been compared using similar metrics to conventional THz detectors used in passive sensing contexts (e.g., radiometric missions), but it gives a minimum detectable power of 190 fW Hz−1/2.

— Rydberg Receivers for Space Applications  (2601.20631 - Allinson et al., 28 Jan 2026) in Section 4, Matching of Architecture with Application – Imaging and Terahertz Sensing