Optical control system for quantum bit emulator based on green laser, AOM modulators and FPGA technology

Abstract

Scientists involved in building quantum computers are currently facing many physical difficulties. Creating qubits, manipulating them and reading their state requires a lot of experience. This paper describes an optical laser system as a test platform for quantum-optical control that enables effective manipulation of an emulated quantum bit. Importantly, it is a reproduction of the system controlling the optical path in real ion traps. This solution makes it possible to study the phenomena occurring in such systems and to learn about the wide range of problems that a designer and an operator of quantum systems may encounter, even before they start building them. The optical system presented in the article uses, among others, a 532 nm laser, acousto-optic modulators (AOMs), ultrafast light detectors, and a programmable FPGA chip. The entire optical system was then attached to the QUBIT emulator and thoroughly tested. The article describes the design and operation of the proposed optical system and shows an example of how to control it using a Python script.