Time-tagging workhorse of quantum optics
Reliable time-to-digital converter with 8 independent channels and picosecond precision.
- Overview
- Key Features
- Extensions
- Applications
- References
- Downloads
As a standard time-to-digital converter (TDC), qutools’ quTAU registers incoming signal events on 8 independent channels, records their exact time (bin size 81 ps) and channel number and communicates these to a PC. A graphical user interface is supplied for Windows and Linux, software examples are available for C/C++ (Windows and Linux) and Labview.
For some applications it is not important to know the absolut time of its occurence, but only whether or not it appeared within a short timing window (the so-called coincidence window) around an event at another channel. For this purpose the user can set a coincidence timing window and then the quTAU counts events that happen individually or coincident with another event for the different combinations of channels (4 channels are used for this purpose). Because of the reduced amount of data, this mode can handle significantly higher event rates.
The quTAU is also available in the extended version quTAU(H+) including three extensions for a wider range of processable signals, analysing lifetime measurements and calculating the g(2)(τ) function.
- 8 input channels (LV)TTL (with hardware extension: user-defined threshold from -2 … +3V)
- typ. 81 ps resolution (bin size)
- USB 2.0 interface
- Compact and easy-to-use
- Graphical user interface and device drivers for Windows and Linux
- Example software for C/C++ and Labview
Input Hardware Extension
The input extension widens the range of processable signals, with regard to signal levels and maximum rate. Adjustable threshold comparators at each channel allow the quTAU (H+) to process NIM and user defined signals as well as (LV)TTL. One channel additionally features a divider so that high frequency periodic signals can be used as triggers.
Lifetime Software Extension
This software addon enables the user to analyse lifetime measurements on the fly. Together with the input hardware extension, high frequency trigger signals can be used. The software calculates the required histograms, fits exponential decreases and takes response functions of the system into account.
HBT Software Extension
This software extension is intended for Hanbury-Brown Twiss experiments. It calculates the g(2)(τ) function from the detection times of two inputs. Standard functions can be fitted to assess the relevant parameters.
- Full daylight quantum-key-distribution at 1550 nm enabled by integrated silicon photonics
M. Avesani, L. Calderaro, M. Schiavon, A. Stanco, C. Agnesi, A. Santamato, M. Zahidy, A. Scriminich, G. Foletto, G. Contestabile, M. Chiesa, D. Rotta, M. Artiglia, A. Montanaro, M. Romagnoli, V. Sorianello, F. Vedovato, G. Vallone, P. Villoresi
arXiv preprint (2019) - Polarisation oscillations in birefringent emitter-cavity systems
G. Noh, D. Choi, J. Kim, D. Im, Y. Kim, H. Seo, J. Lee
Phys. Rev. Letter (2018) - Stark Tuning of Single-Photon Emitters in Hexagonal Boron Nitride
T. Barrett, O. Barter, D. Stuart, B. Yuen, A. Kuhn
(2018) - Nonlinear Zeeman Effects in the Cavity-Enhanced Emission of Polarised Photons
T. Barrett, D. Stuart, O. Barter, A. Kuhn
New J. Phys (2018) - Postselection-loophole-free Bell violation with genuine time-bin entanglement
F. Vedovato, C. Agnesi, M. Tomasin, M. Avesani, J. Larsson, G. Vallone, P. Villoresi
Phys. Rev. Letter (2018) - Varying temperature and silicon content in nanodiamond growth: effects on silicon-vacancy centers
S. Choi, V. Leong, V.A. Davydov, V.N. Agafonov, M.W.O. Cheong, D.A. Kalashnikov, L.A. Krivitsky
preprint (2017) - Detection of contactin-2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of patients with Alzheimer’s disease using Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS)
M. Chatterjee, B. Nöding, E. A. J. Willemse, M. J. A. Koel-Simmelink, W. M. van der Flier, D. Schild, C. E. Teunissen
Clinical Biochemistry (2017) - Extending Wheeler’s delayed-choice experiment to Space
F. Vedovato, C. Agnesi, M. Schiavon, D. Dequal, L. Calderaro, M. Tomasin, D. G. Marangon, A. Stanco, V. Luceri, G. Bianco, G. Vallone, P. Villoresi
Science Advances (2017) - Coherent control of the silicon-vacancy spin in diamond
B. Pingault, D.-D. Jarausch, C. Hepp, L. Klintberg, J. N. Becker, M. Markham, C. Becher, M. Atatüre
Nature Communications (2017) - Pulsed single-photon spectrometer by frequency-to-time mapping using chirped fiber Bragg gratings
A. O. C. Davis, P. M. Saulnier, M. Karpinski, B. J. Smith
Optics Express (2017) - Large-scale quantum-emitter arrays in atomically thin semiconductors
C. Palacios-Berraquero, D. M. Kara, A. R.-P. Montblanch, M. Barbone, P. Latawiec, D. Yoon, A. K. Ott, M. Loncar, A. C. Ferrari, M. Atature
Nature Communications (2016) - Free-space spectro-temporal and spatio-temporal conversion for pulsed light
E. Poem, T. Hiemstra, A. Eckstein, X.-M. Jin, I. A. Walmsley
Optics Letter (2016)
- quTAU Manual
Version 4.0, 05/2016, 3.2 MB - quTAU Software
Version 4.3.3, 07/2018, 51.4 MB - quTAU Daisy Software
04/2019, 8.7 MB - quTAU Datasheet
12/2015, 0.4 MB - Python examples
10/2021, 0.2 MB