In 2013, the NIST Ion Storage Group wanted to develop the next generation of quantum information control systems, which became ARTIQ through a partnership with my (then-)small company M-Labs which would take care of the software and FPGA engineering. The ARTIQ control system and its associated hardware became quite famous and successful in the ion trap community, and they are nowadays involved in most experiments with that quantum technology and beyond.
Throughout this ongoing adventure, I have been exposed to a lot of very interesting physics, and amid the labs full of multi-million-dollar equipment I kept wondering how accessible and ubiquitous quantum technology really ought to be. After all, those ion trap experiments are "simply" about controlling a few low-energy atoms of common isotopes using very moderate amounts of laser power - levels that are available from an ordinary laser pointer. Why can't I have a laser-cooled experiment in my living room?
The first breakthrough came in 2023, when I was able to observe the hyperfine structure of doubly-ionized lanthanum using "plug and play" and cost-effective optical telecommunication equipment. Something nontrivial that can cost well over $50,000 at a typical physics lab was running on my desk for about a thousand. Blood was in the water.
This website, named after the most common optical telecommunication frequency, documents my explorations in low-cost and compact optical and atomic systems.
Experiments on this website involve, among other hazards, high voltage at dangerous and possibly lethal levels, vacuum vessels that can implode and project glass shards, and visible or invisible laser beams that can cause permanent eye damage, burn skin, and start fires. Optical fiber scraps produced during splicing can cause injury. Make yourself familiar with the hazards and take appropriate control measures. Information is provided here in good faith but "as is" and without any warranty; use it entirely at your own risk.
Opinions expressed on this website are my personal opinions and do not represent the position of M-Labs Limited or any other organization.
You have permission to use, copy, modify, and distribute the original content from this website for any purpose with or without fee, provided that attribution to 193THz.com and this permission notice appear in all copies.
I can be contacted regarding these articles at root@193THz.com. I can't be bothered to submit anything to academic journals, but in lieu of peer review, I will publish any intelligent technical comments.