A scalable, self-analyzing digital locking system for use on quantum optics experiments

Area of Science:

• Quantum optics
• Experimental physics
• Digital control systems

Background:

• Analog control systems in optics experiments present limitations in scalability, cost, and flexibility.
• Integrating system information into a single location is challenging with traditional methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a freely available digital control system for quantum optics experiments.
• To demonstrate automatic and sequential re-locking of optical components.
• To showcase the benefits of digital control for characterizing quantum states.

Main Methods:

• Development of a digital control system with automatic re-locking capabilities.
• Utilization of inbuilt locking analysis tools, including a white-noise network analyzer.
• Application of the digital system to an experiment for characterizing optical Schrödinger cat states.

Main Results:

• The digital control system allows for automatic and sequential re-locking of optical components.
• Inbuilt analysis tools aid in optimizing individual locks and verifying long-term system stability.
• The system demonstrates practical benefits in a quantum optics experiment.

Conclusions:

• Digital control offers significant advantages over analog systems for quantum optics experiments.
• The developed system provides a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution.
• The digital control system facilitates advanced quantum state characterization.