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NanoScience | Blog

Designing the TeslatronPT Plus: Our open-architecture low temperature measurement system

We launched our new TeslatronPT Plus open-architecture low temperature measurement system in March, showing it live for the first time at the APS Global Physics Summit in Anaheim, California. In this blog, we catch up with Dr Limeng Ni, Product Manager, Materials Physics & Measurement and one of our Measurement Scientists, Dr Abi Graham, on the principles behind the system and how the open-architecture approach supports both the software and hardware of the TeslatronPT Plus.

TeslatronPT Plus is designed to enhance research in material science and condensed matter physics. Specifically, the system supports research focused on the study of material properties that are dependent on temperature and magnetic field, such as superconductivity and quantum Hall effect.

Many of the Oxford Instruments NanoScience team have a direct personal background in academic research, which allowed us to easily step into the shoes of our customers and ask, “What would I like in my lab?”

The TeslatronPT Plus measurement system’s open-architecture design is the answer to that question, providing greater flexibility to users than closed “black-box” systems. With the launch of TeslatronPT Plus, we wanted to move away from closed-source platforms and manual data handling and instead offer customers the freedom and flexibility to focus on their experiments.

We understand the importance of having programming freedom and not being constrained by pre-written routines. The system’s open-source Python environment provides this freedom while empowering users to easily integrate any third-party instruments they require into the measurement software and hardware.

Authors

Limeng's_headshot_resized

Dr Limeng Ni

Product Manager, Materials Physics and Measurement at Oxford Instruments NanoScience

Abi's_headshot_resized

Dr Abi Graham

Measurement Scientist at Oxford Instruments NanoScience


What unique design features enable flexible measurement?

A standout feature of the TeslatronPT Plus is its web-browser-based interface. The system is platform-agnostic, as no software installation is required. This allows our users to review measurements and visualise results in real time, using any device. The interface also supports rapid checks and data comparison, eliminating the need to export data into external plotting tools, reducing the risk of data loss.

Our browser-based interface also offers remote access, giving researchers full control of their system from anywhere. Where on-site night shifts were once the norm for monitoring experiments, remote access now brings convenience and flexibility to the lab workflow.

The web-based environment supports flexible measurement scripts written in Python. By providing editable scripts, users have complete control to adapt and extend their measurements as their experiments evolve.

The TeslatronPT Plus is engineered to foster collaboration amongst researchers. By integrating the open-source QCoDeS framework, users can effortlessly share and adapt measurement protocols, facilitating seamless cooperation across different laboratories and institutions. This open-architecture not only supports the development and sharing of device drivers but also leverages a global community of contributors, enabling users to benefit from collective advancements and innovations in experimental setups.

By bringing all these features together, we’ve created a measurement environment that makes measurement simpler and more flexible compared to traditional systems.


What are some of the traditional pain points in electrical transport measurements, and how does TeslatronPT Plus solve them?

Electrical transport experiments often involve time-consuming setups and integration of multiple instruments, custom scripts, and manual configurations. The TeslatronPT Plus is designed as a ‘research-ready’ system, cutting down installation times and enabling users to begin collecting measurements much faster.

In quantum transport and low-dimensional material research, signal integrity is a crucial aspect of electrical transport measurements. The TeslatronPT Plus offers a pre-validated signal chain, with all components designed and tested to work together optimally.


What role does data logging and data management play, and how does it enhance the overall user experience?

Traditionally, measurement data is often stored inconsistently, and locating it later, especially when researchers move on from an institution, can be difficult. The TeslatronPT Plus addresses this with a dedicated measurement server and user-controlled SQL database, ensuring secure, structured, and easily retrievable data storage.

Our oi.DECS software continuously monitors system parameters, such as cryostat temperatures, pressures, and fields, logging them to the database. The measurement data can be accessed directly within the Jupyter Python environment, visualised in real time via interactive dashboards, or exported in your preferred format for use in other software. This flexibility ensures that users retain full control over their data at every stage.


If you’ve already ordered a TeslatronPT Plus, can you upgrade to the new system?

We will shortly be announcing the upgrade path for existing TeslatronPT customers. Our team is ready to support users in unlocking the enhanced simplicity, flexibility, and user-friendly design of the new TeslatronPT Plus system, making it easier than ever to tailor experiments, streamline workflows, and get reliable results faster. If you would like to be notified of updates, please reach out to us via the form below.

Get notified when the upgrade for TeslatronPT is available

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