Control Infrastructure for a Continuously Operating Neutral Atom Array

Abstract

Neutral atom arrays have emerged as a powerful platform for quantum science and technology. However, the intrinsic issue of atom loss places a fundamental limit on the maximum duration of uninterrupted coherent operation. In our group, we built a next-generation atom array experiment incorporating a mechanism for continuous, high-flux qubit replenishment that is compatible with simultaneous, uninterrupted coherent operation. Among the many engineering challenges we had to address throughout this effort was the development of an experiment control infrastructure for transparent orchestration of several concurrently operating subsystems, with support for very long run durations. In this thesis, we begin by introducing the experiment architecture and presenting the main scientific results. We then turn to the control system details, discussing both the current implementation and the potential future modifications. We introduce the nistreamer package - an open-source abstraction layer for scripted pulse sequence generation with National Instruments cards - which was developed as part of this effort and serves as the control system core. The versatile format of a lightweight package, simple Python API, and the absence of a strict sequence duration limit make it a powerful tool with potential value for other laboratories. Next, we summarize the evaluation results on using low-noise CMOS cameras for fast atom imaging. We conclude by discussing the remaining control infrastructure challenges and future development directions toward enabling fault-tolerant quantum computation with neutral atom arrays.