2-D Polarimetry of Visualized Radio Frequency Waves Using Cesium Vapor Atoms

A powerful tool for users of radio frequencies (RFs) is the ability to visualize those distributions. Here, the 2-D visualization of RF waves on a circuit board is demonstrated using the fluorescence associated with the double resonance of cesium atoms. The invisible RF waves are upconverted into near-infrared light that can be viewed with an optical camera. In addition, a 2-D visualization image is captured separately for each polarization of the RF magnetic field component using a direct-current magnetic field. The images of the 2-D polarimetry are consistent with finite-element calculations of the distribution of the magnetic field strength.