Your Advanced Quantum Control Just Got Upgraded: Release the 2.0 Kraken!

It is time to take out even more big guns for the OPX: we’re upgrading to 2.0! The functionalities of the systems running with QUA, our pulse-level quantum programming language, have been greatly extended, and all qubit technologies can benefit. Let us go through the highlights.

Strict timing for sequences with zero gaps

The new strict timing functionality in QUA enhances it as a language that can both describe mid-circuit measurements and feedback-based real-time responses, as well as programs that are broader than a single shot, such as fast calibrations, parameter estimations, etc. Strict timing is super intuitive; it is QUA, after all. A single line allows us to describe sections of code where we want the pulse timing to be exact, i.e., we must not have any sequence gaps due to computation or other delays. QUA will either run with strict time or let us know that the sequence, as written, cannot run without gaps. This truly gives the user complete control over the true real-time versus the near-real-time execution of programs. All users will eventually use this new functionality in their complex quantum sequences, and you can sign up to hear Ramon Szmuk speak about it in this short introductory video.

Crosstalk matrix and improved digital filters

You will definitely like this one if you dabble with superconducting qubits or spintronics. With the new cross-talk matrix and improved digital filters, correcting for crosstalks and RF-component distortions in your setup becomes trivial. You can do it once and for all directly from the OPX+. You measure distortions once, tune the configuration file, then forget about them. OPX+ will automatically re-calibrate each sequence going out any channel to account for the measured distortions. Sign up to watch Ramon explain it in this video.

Advanced chirping

All our AMO friends have incredible setups capable of moving atoms and ions around. The videos are truly spectacular to watch! What can a controller do to improve things even more? With the new advanced chirping feature, the OPX+ can calculate piecewise chirping and minimal-jerk trajectories on-the-fly, while the pulse is playing. That means that while you play a specific chirp, you are calculating the best chirp that should come out next in just hundreds of nanoseconds! I am excited to see what crazy sequences people will come up with using this functionality. If you, like me, can never have enough of Ramon’s explanations, watch his video by signing up here.

Input stream and fast data transfer

In most labs, data transfer within the local network can become a bottleneck. We have seen how, sometimes, large amounts of data must be transferred from the lab computer to the OPX+, even during the runtime of a program. The new input stream capability dramatically enhances the speed of data transfer all the way to 1024 bits in less than 10ms. Sign up to watch Michal explain the new feature in this introductory video. If you are, like me, coming from an NV center / quantum photonics background, you know the pain of handling so much data to clog your network.

High-resolution time tagging

Having had to build a time-resolved system for photon counting, I know how vital accuracy (jitter) is. This is especially true for our customers working with single-photon sources or photonic quantum computing and networks. Now, the OPX+ virtually becomes a high-resolution time tagger with a high-res mode that brings the accuracy below 50ps (<100ns dead time) from its standard of 1ns (1ns dead time). Real-time control is coming to photonic systems in full force! Hear more about this from Michal by signing up. You should also check out of page for Optically Addressable Qubits, where we take an example NV center qubit and build quantum photonics experiments from scratch. 

Shareable ports

The new shareable ports feature further extends the potential of splitting OPX+ resources into different quantum machines. Now, it is possible to have quantum machines sharing the same ports. This is great when working with multiplexed readout or monitoring input in one quantum machine regardless of others. The added flexibility of how to set up your experimental configurations is fantastic. If you think you might do something cool with ports to be shared, sign up to listen to Michal’s introduction, and then let us know how you use this new tool! This just made a whole lot easier to handle multi-setup experiments like so often happens in heralding schemes (e.g. NV center qubits and optically addressable qubits).

Upgrading process and Conclusions

If you are interested in hearing more about the new 2.0 features, do not hesitate to drop us a line via email or discord, and your OPX will get the upgrade in no time.

We are excited about this release and eager to hear what great new stuff you can do with the new tools at your disposal. Personally, I am looking forward to seeing the high-resolution time tagging breaking the ground! Now, it is your turn to show us something cool. Drop us a line at [email protected] to learn more.

That is all for now, folks. A new tool has arrived in the lab, and play with it we must.