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Resources

Physics/Science/Technical

• David Mermin's text book on quantum computing David Mermin is a professor at Cornell university who wrote this free lecture note series (now a textbook). Very detailed but very interesting.
• Koctave web page. Koctave is a pretty good open source substitute for Matlab.

Software/Code

Below is some simple code which I've written which may be of use.

• bloch.m , SolveBloch.m Matlab m files (also fine for Octave) to numerically solve the Bloch equations.
• stochres1.m , stochres1.m Matlab/Octave files demonstrating an example of stochastic resonance. The system simulated is that of a detector with a threshold. The applied signal has an amplitude less than the threshold and so can't be detected in principle. When noise is added, the signal detection is enhanced.

Microcontrollers

Turn your Arduino Mega (ATMega1280) into a hard real time experimental timing controller/sequencer. NB: At the moment, this thing is controlled by bash scripts! If you have a phobia of the command line, you might want to stay away, but it really isn't that hard!

(NB: I originally wanted to do this outside of the arduino environment, but I couldn't get the linking to work for some reason. In any case, the arduino code is probably accessible to more people, and the microcontroller hardcore can easily add the correct header, etc, and compile with avrgcc)

• XControl.pde - Arduino sketch which allows for USB serial port controlled experimental sequencing and DC control of experimental equipment
• dcset.c - Using only the standard c library, implements interface with the arduino Mega when it is loaded witht he Xcontrol software. Very easy to compile - just use the command given in the comments.
• loadstdexp - unix (linux) shell script which shows how to use dcset to program an experiment

  You can probably use your Arduino Mega as is for experimental control by just connecting the relevant pins to the modulation inputs of the equipment you want to control. However, this is not recommended. In principle, you should add an output stage to decouple the arduino from the equipment you are controlling. I will try to post schematics of this output stage soon.

  Use your Arduino 168 (ATMega168) to frequency lock a laser to a hyperfine absorption peak. (NB: This requires a bit of extra electronics to actually get working. I will try to post the schematics soon )

• Modulate_ErrorSignal.pde - Arduino sketch which allows for current modulation and locking of a laser to a peak in an input saturated absorption spectrum signal.

  Burning the arduino bootloader to a naked ATMega168 or 328P

  Here are the commands and tricks I used to accomplish this apparently simple, but sometimes frustrating task.

Japan/Japanese language

• Jim Breen's excellent Japanese <-> English dictionary
• My guide to useful technical vocabulary for physicists working in Japan. This is a work in progress (read: just started, shamefully few words!)