Customizable Modular Ultracold System Control System

Experiments on ultracold atom gases require stable generation of radio frequency, microwave, analog and digital signals with time precision and synchronization. There have been open-source, customizable solutions developed and maintained by the community [1][2] as popular options or references for building a control system in addition to the commercial products and services. Over the years, our lab has developed a home-made modular system featuring card rack holders integrated with power supply, communication, clock and synchronization. We have also designed signal modules of various functionalities, each of which is programmable with a microcontroller and has tunable parameters that can be updated before each experimental sequence runs. The system is controlled using the Matlab software, where the experimental sequences and parameters are organized declaratively using XML and YAML. We will share the design and details of our control system, from hardware to software, with flexibility, customizability, and extensibility that can be adapted to other AMO research scenarios.



Ref.

1. Gaskell, Peter E., et al. "An open-source, extensible system for laboratory timing and control." Review of Scientific Instruments 80.11 (2009): 115103.

2. Keshet, Aviv, and Wolfgang Ketterle. "A distributed, graphical user interface based, computer control system for atomic physics experiments." Review of Scientific Instruments 84.1 (2013): 015105.