title: Microcontroller-based locking in optics experiments.
abstract: Optics experiments critically require the stable and accurate locking of relative phases between light beams or the stabilization of Fabry-Perot cavity lengths. Here, we present a simple and inexpensive technique based on a stand-alone microcontroller unit to perform such tasks. Easily programmed in C language, this reconfigurable digital locking system also enables automatic relocking and sequential functioning. Different algorithms are detailed and applied to fringe locking and to low- and high-finesse optical cavity stabilization, without the need of external modulations or error signals. This technique can readily replace a number of analog locking systems advantageously in a variety of optical experiments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Le Jeannic
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ruaudel
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Morin
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, UPMC-Sorbonne Universités, CNRS, ENS-PSL Research University, Collège de France, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laurat