Channel Estimation for Rydberg Atomic Quantum Receivers

Abstract: The advent of Rydberg atomic quantum receivers (RAQRs) offers a new solution for the evolution of wireless transceiver architecture, promising unprecedented sensitivity and immunity to thermal noise. However, RAQRs introduce a unique non-linear signal model based on biased phase retrieval, which complicates fundamental channel estimation tasks. Traditional iterative algorithms often struggle in low signal-to-noise regimes and fail to capture complex and non-ideal system characteristics. To address this, we propose a novel model-driven deep learning framework for channel estimation in RAQRs. Specifically, we propose a Transformer-based unrolling architecture, termed URformer, which is derived by unrolling a stabilized variant of the expectation-maximization Gerchberg-Saxton (EM-GS) algorithm. Specifically, each layer of the proposed URformer incorporates three trainable modules: 1) a learnable filter implemented by a neural network that replaces the fixed Bessel function ratio in the classic EM-GS algorithm; 2) a trainable gating mechanism that adaptively combines classic and model-based updates to ensure training stability; and 3) a efficient channel Transformer block that learns to correct residual errors by capturing non-local dependencies across the channel matrix. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed URformer significantly outperforms classic iterative algorithms and conventional black-box neural networks with less pilot overhead.