the labscript suite

Experiment control and automation system


The labscript suite is a powerful and extensible framework for experiment composition, control, execution, and analysis. Developed for quantum science and quantum engineering; deployable in laboratory and in-field devices. Also applicable to optics, microscopy, materials engineering, biophysics, and any application predicated on the repetition of parameterised, hardware-timed experiments.

Features

  • Flexible and automated oversight of heterogeneous hardware.

  • The most mature and widely used open-source control system in quantum science.

  • Multiple analysis-based feedback modes.

  • Extensible plugin architecture (e.g. machine learning online optimisation).

  • Readily integrates with other software, including image acquisition, analysis, and even other control systems.

  • Compose experiments as human-readable Python code, leveraging modularity, revision control and re-use.

  • Dynamic visualisation of experiment composition and results.

  • Remote operation: different modules can run on physically separate hosts / single modules can be run on multiple hosts (including hardware supervisor, blacs).

  • Auto-generating user-interfaces.

  • High-level scripting: user-interface interaction can be programatically synthesised.

Citing the labscript suite

If you use the labscript suite to control your experiment or perform analysis, please cite one or more of the following publications:

P. T. Starkey, A software framework for control and automation of precisely timed experiments. PhD thesis, Monash University (2019).
@phdthesis{starkey_phd_2019,
   title = {State-dependent forces in cold quantum gases},
   author = {Starkey, P. T.},
   year = {2019},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.26180/5d1db8ffe29ef},
   doi = {10.26180/5d1db8ffe29ef},
   school = {Monash University},
}
C. J. Billington, State-dependent forces in cold quantum gases. PhD thesis, Monash University (2018).
@phdthesis{billington_phd_2018,
   title = {State-dependent forces in cold quantum gases},
   author = {Billington, C. J.},
   year = {2018},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.26180/5bd68acaf0696},
   doi = {10.26180/5bd68acaf0696},
   school = {Monash University},
}
A scripted control system for autonomous hardware-timed experiments, Review of Scientific Instruments 84, 085111 (2013). arXiv:1303.0080.
@article{labscript_2013,
   author = {Starkey, P. T. and Billington, C. J. and Johnstone, S. P. and
             Jasperse, M. and Helmerson, K. and Turner, L. D. and Anderson, R. P.},
   title = {A scripted control system for autonomous hardware-timed experiments},
   journal = {Review of Scientific Instruments},
   volume = {84},
   number = {8},
   pages = {085111},
   year = {2013},
   doi = {10.1063/1.4817213},
   url = {https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817213},
   eprint = {https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4817213}
}

Runs on labscript

Selected published works by labscript suite users. For a complete list, see here.

[1]

R. P. Anderson, D. Trypogeorgos, A. Valdés-Curiel, Q.-Y. Liang, J. Tao, M. Zhao, T. Andrijauskas, G. Juzeliūnas, and I. B. Spielman. Realization of a deeply subwavelength adiabatic optical lattice. Physical Review Research, 2(1):013149, February 2020. doi:10.1103/PhysRevResearch.2.013149.

[2]

Kevin C. Cox, David H. Meyer, Zachary A. Castillo, Fredrik K. Fatemi, and Paul D. Kunz. Spin-Wave Multiplexed Atom-Cavity Electrodynamics. Physical Review Letters, 123(26):263601, December 2019. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.123.263601.

[3]

Sean Donnellan, Ian R. Hill, William Bowden, and Richard Hobson. A scalable arbitrary waveform generator for atomic physics experiments based on field-programmable gate array technology. Review of Scientific Instruments, 90(4):043101, April 2019. doi:10.1063/1.5051124.

[4]

Shaun P. Johnstone, Andrew J. Groszek, Philip T. Starkey, Christopher J. Billington, Tapio P. Simula, and Kristian Helmerson. Evolution of large-scale flow from turbulence in a two-dimensional superfluid. Science, 364(6447):1267–1271, June 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aat5793.

[5]

Thomas M. Karg, Baptiste Gouraud, Chun Tat Ngai, Gian-Luca Schmid, Klemens Hammerer, and Philipp Treutlein. Light-mediated strong coupling between a mechanical oscillator and atomic spins 1 meter apart. Science, 369(6500):174–179, July 2020. doi:10.1126/science.abb0328.

[6]

David H. Meyer, Paul D. Kunz, and Kevin C. Cox. Waveguide-Coupled Rydberg Spectrum Analyzer from 0 to 20 GHz. Physical Review Applied, 15(1):014053, January 2021. arXiv:2009.14383, doi:10.1103/PhysRevApplied.15.014053.

[7]

David Morris, Matthew Aldous, Markus Gellesch, Jonathan Jones, Yogeshwar Kale, Alok Singh, Jonathan Bass, Kai Bongs, Yeshpal Singh, Ian Hill, Rich Hendricks, Paul Gaynor, Patrick Gill, and Ross Williams. Development of a Portable Optical Clock. In 2019 Joint Conference of the IEEE International Frequency Control Symposium and European Frequency and Time Forum (EFTF/IFC), 1–3. April 2019. doi:10.1109/FCS.2019.8856051.

[8]

Malte Schlosser, Daniel Ohl de Mello, Dominik Schäffner, Tilman Preuschoff, Lars Kohfahl, and Gerhard Birkl. Assembled arrays of Rydberg-interacting atoms. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 53(14):144001, June 2020. doi:10.1088/1361-6455/ab8b46.

Testimonials

“We thank the labscript suite community for support in implementing state-of-the-art control software for our experiments.” [8]

“A fanless embedded PC running labscript suite software packages is able to control all of the optical lattice clock operations, from the hardware interface level and experimental timing to the data analysis sequences.” [7]

labscript is amazing! Not only as a project itself but as a good example of software engineering that fosters collaboration.”

“labscript is a nice upgrade from the program used so far to control different cold atom experiments. The transition was smooth and we are very happy so far. Thanks to all labscript authors for writing and sharing it!”