5 research outputs found
A scalable hardware and software control apparatus for experiments with hybrid quantum systems
Modern experiments with fundamental quantum systems - like ultracold atoms,
trapped ions, single photons - are managed by a control system formed by a
number of input/output electronic channels governed by a computer. In hybrid
quantum systems, where two or more quantum systems are combined and made to
interact, establishing an efficient control system is particularly challenging
due to the higher complexity, especially when each single quantum system is
characterized by a different timescale. Here we present a new control apparatus
specifically designed to efficiently manage hybrid quantum systems. The
apparatus is formed by a network of fast communicating Field Programmable Gate
Arrays (FPGAs), the action of which is administrated by a software. Both
hardware and software share the same tree-like structure, which ensures a full
scalability of the control apparatus. In the hardware, a master board acts on a
number of slave boards, each of which is equipped with an FPGA that locally
drives analog and digital input/output channels and radiofrequency (RF) outputs
up to 400 MHz. The software is designed to be a general platform for managing
both commercial and home-made instruments in a user-friendly and intuitive
Graphical User Interface (GUI). The architecture ensures that complex control
protocols can be carried out, such as performing of concurrent commands loops
by acting on different channels, the generation of multi-variable error
functions and the implementation of self-optimization procedures. Although
designed for managing experiments with hybrid quantum systems, in particular
with atom-ion mixtures, this control apparatus can in principle be used in any
experiment in atomic, molecular, and optical physics.Comment: 10 pages, 12 figure
A compact radiofrequency drive based on interdependent resonant circuits for precise control of ion traps
Paul traps are widely used to confine electrically charged particles like
atomic and molecular ions by using an intense radiofrequency (RF) field,
typically obtained by a voltage drop on capacitative electrodes placed in
vacuum. We present a RF drive realized on a compact printed circuit board (PCB)
and providing a high-voltage RF signal to a quadrupole Paul trap. The circuit
is formed by four interdependent resonant circuits each of which connected
to an electrode of a Paul trap fed by low-noise amplifiers, leading to an
output voltage of peak-to-peak amplitude up to 200 V at 3.23 MHz. The presence
of a single resonant circuit for each electrode ensures a strong control on the
voltage drop on each electrode, e.g. by applying a DC field through a bias tee.
Additionally, the moderate quality factor Q = 67 of the resonant circuits
ensures a fast operation of the drive, which can be turned on and off in less
than 10 s. Finally, the RF lines are equipped with pick-ups that sample
the RF in phase and amplitude, thus providing a signal that can be used to
actively control the voltage drop at the trap's electrodes. Thanks to its
features, this drive is particularly suited for experiments in which high trap
stability and excellent micromotion compensation are required.Comment: 7 pages, 8 figure