Low-latency control system for feedback experiments with optical-tweezer arrays
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 024062 – Published 26 August, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/svtr-1rmd
Abstract
We present and characterize a modular, open-source system to perform feedback control experiments on configurations of atoms and molecules in arrays of optical tweezers. The system features a modular computer architecture with a motherboard and peripheral cards, enabling continuous upgrades and flexible development while serving multiple applications. It supports efficient data transfer to and from graphics processing units (GPUs) using remote direct memory access, leveraging GPU efficiency in matrix multiplication and parallelism, while enabling direct data transfer between devices without involving the CPU. We first describe the architecture and workflow of the system, detailing its hardware components and software modules. We then evaluate the computational run time for preparing defect-free chains and grids of atoms using efficient implementations of atom-reconfiguration algorithms. Finally, we discuss timing bottlenecks and strategies to reduce latency. Beyond solving reconfiguration problems, the system can readily be used to implement adaptive and feedforward protocols, as well as digital quantum algorithms relying on particle displacement. Our results lay the groundwork for developing low-latency feedback control systems, benchmarking their performance, and advancing scalable quantum hardware.
