Details
Date: April 7, 2026
Speaker: Jason Ball, Ph. D. Quantum Technical Engineer, Liquid Instruments
Overview
Sensitive optical applications require precise measurement and control over the phase of a laser beam. One way to synchronize the phase of a signal is by using a phase-locked loop (PLL), which compares an input to a stable reference. The PLL then forms a feedback loop by correcting the input and locking it to the reference. PLLs can also be used in conjunction with clock dividers, phase shifters, and PID controllers to synthesize new frequencies from a given oscillator. During this webinar, we will introduce the concepts of demodulation and phase locking. You will see how to construct a PLL with a reconfigurable FPGA platform using fully digital instruments, including a Lock-in Amplifier, Waveform Generator, and Phasemeter, and custom HDL modules. You will also find out how to use dual-phase demodulation to generate an error signal for a feedback loop. Lastly, you will learn how techniques such as PID control can be incorporated into PLLs for more precise control over phase and amplitude.
This webinar will demonstrate:
- Learn the fundamental components of a phase-locked loop
- See how a single FPGA-based system can help fast-track optical phase locking
- Find out how to track harmonics and implement PID control
You’ll also see live demonstrations ranging from phase-tracking in real-time to decoding frequency-modulated (FM) data to oscillator stabilization. A Q&A session will follow the demonstration.