Keysight Hardware Modules#

Quantum control solutions require a wide array of hardware components — from Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) to Digitizers and Downconverters. In traditional setups, these devices often require frequent calibration, can introduce unwanted noise, and are prone to slow drifts over time, all of which impact system performance and reliability.

The Keysight M5000 Series addresses these challenges by integrating all essential control and measurement modules into a single, compact platform. This integration enhances ease of use, improves noise performance, and ensures long-term stability — making it highly suitable for demanding quantum applications.

The M5000 Series PXI modules form the backbone of the Keysight’s Quantum Control System and includes the following components:

  1. Arbitrary Waveform Generators (AWGs) — Devices that generate precisely shaped analog voltage pulses to control qubits and resonators.

    • M5300A AWG A versatile AWG for scalable quantum control, offering multiple outputs and trigger capabilities for complex PXIe-based integration.

    M5300A Specifications#

    Output Voltage (50Ω load)

    Frequency Range

    LO Frequency Range

    LO Frequency Resolution

    LO Phase Resolution

    Baseband Bandwidth

    Baseband Sample Rate
    0.1776 V @ 0–14 GHz
    0.1122 V @ 14–16 GHz
    0.089 V @ 16–18 GHz

    –3 dB @ 15 GHz

    0–18 GHz

    5 µHz

    84 ndeg

    1.92 GHz

    2.4 GSa/s

    • M5301A AWG A compact AWG optimized for baseband signal generation and waveform synchronization in modular setups.

      M5301A Specifications#

      Output Voltage (50Ω load)

      Frequency Range

      Bandwidth

      Sample Rate

      ±2.5 V

      0–450 MHz

      400 MHz (–3 dB)

      2.4 GSa/s

  2. Digitizers — Devices that sample analog signals (e.g., from qubit readout) and convert them into digital data for further processing.

    • M5200A Digitizer A high-performance digitizer featuring real-time sequencing, user-programmable FPGA, and PCIe backplane transfer for fast, flexible quantum signal acquisition.

      M5200A Specifications#

      Input Voltage (50Ω load)

      Resolution

      Bandwidth

      Sample Rate

      900mV pk-pk

      12-bit

      DC–2 GHz

      4.8 GSa/s

  3. Downconverters — Devices that shift high-frequency microwave signals to intermediate frequencies (IF) for efficient digitization and analysis.

    • M5201A Downconverter A four-channel downconverter that includes a shared internal LO and supports low-IF signal downconversion for scalable quantum measurement.

      M5201A Specifications#

      RF Input Range

      Conversion Gain

      LO Frequency Range

      LO Frequency Resolution

      LO Phase Resolution

      2–16 GHz

      > 0 dB (2–14 GHz)

      1–18 GHz

      5 µHz

      84 ndeg