Numerically simulating Doppler effects in coherent spectroscopy of warm Rydberg atoms

A relatively new class of warm vapor-based quantum sensor, the Rydberg electric field sensor, is being investigated by a growing number of groups around the world. These sensors rely on coherent spectroscopy of highly excited Rydberg states, and there is a need to identify preferable optical schemes among the numerous possibilities. Choosing a combination of three or more wavelengths opens the possibility for configuring the beams to cancel the total photon momenta, i.e. the optical wavevectors sum to zero. Simulating such experiments can be computationally intensive given the number of atomic levels, electric fields, and motional degrees of freedom involved. We present numerical simulations that well match our experimental data. This both informs optimization of the experiment, and gives insights into mechanisms that are most relevant to the sensor's signal-to-noise ratio.