Abstract
We describe the operation of a cryogenic instrumentation platform incorporating commercially available field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The functionality of the FPGAs at temperatures approaching 4 K enables signal routing, multiplexing, and complex digital signal processing in close proximity to cooled devices or detectors within the cryostat. The performance of the FPGAs in a cryogenic environment is evaluated, including clock speed, error rates, and power consumption. Although constructed for the purpose of controlling and reading out quantum computing devices with low latency, the instrument is generic enough to be of broad use in a range of cryogenic applications.
Highlights
Electronic instrumentation at cryogenic temperatures is widespread in astronomy[1], experimental cosmology[2,3], and essential to the performance of particle[4,5], antimatter[6] and single photon[7] detectors as well as quantum information devices[8]
We first investigate if cooling the instrument leads to variations in the fieldprogrammable gate arrays (FPGAs) switching voltage levels associated with the single-ended low-voltage complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) (LVCMOS) and low-voltage differential-signalling (LVDS) logic standards
Integrating FPGA-based instrumentation directly in the cryogenic environment with cooled devices or detectors has technical advantages such as the use of miniaturised, high-density superconducting cabling, and in enabling the operation of cryogenic multiplexers, digital-to-analog converters (DACs) and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). In addition to these practical aspects, the functionality of FPGAs at cryogenic temperatures provides a path to establishing complete instrumentation solutions that take advantage of reduced temperatures to improve performance
Summary
Electronic instrumentation at cryogenic temperatures is widespread in astronomy[1], experimental cosmology[2,3], and essential to the performance of particle[4,5], antimatter[6] and single photon[7] detectors as well as quantum information devices[8]. Embedded cryogenic amplifiers[12] and multiplexing circuits[1,10,13,14], for instance, are commonly used to boost weak signals over lengthy transmission lines[15] or to minimise the number of separate cables and feedthrough connectors traversing the vacuum space and temperature gradient Including in this approach the possibility of operating digital-to-analog converters (DACs)[16,17] and analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) cryogenically[18,19], as well as cryogenic logic and memory systems opens the prospect of digital signal processing, feedback, and realtime control without the need to bring signals up and out of the cryostat. The platform is sufficiently generic to be of wide applicability in the read out and control of various cryogenic detectors and devices
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