68316 Electronics for Quantum Technologies
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 6 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): 68201 Physics 2 OR 68037 Physical Modelling
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses. See access conditions.
Description
This subject aims to explore how basic techniques using AC electronic circuits can be used for precision measurement and control up to microwave frequencies in exciting deep tech applications like quantum technologies. It builds upon the foundation studies of electricity undertaken in an introductory physics subject. It assumes knowledge of calculus and of complex numbers. The subject develops practical and theoretical skills in the application of electronic circuits in the laboratory with particular emphasis on basic electronic measurement and control techniques. Op-amps and passive electronic components are treated as building blocks to create more complex measurement systems and signal processing. Basic techniques and extensions are discussed in the context of more advanced applications.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
Upon successful completion of this subject students should be able to:
| 1. | Explain and apply the basic concepts of electronics and circuit operation, including op-amp applications, measurement and control |
|---|---|
| 2. | Construct, test and troubleshoot circuits with reference to schematic diagrams |
| 3. | Design and develop circuits to address measurement and control application requirements |
| 4. | Document, analyse and reflect on your practical work by maintaining an accurate and sufficiently complete labbook record that can be understood and verified by others with relevant expertise |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject also contributes specifically to the development of following course intended learning outcomes:
- Demonstrate coherent understanding of physics and related knowledge applied to diverse contexts. (1.1)
- Evaluate the reliability of scientific evidence and apply effective experimental design, analysis and critical thinking to predict the behaviour of real-world systems using physical models (2.1)
- Engage autonomously or in teams to derive and analyse data from instrumentation and physical models to make ethical contributions to society. (3.1)
- Evaluate and design solutions to complex physical problems through creative problem-solving, using analytical, computational, and experimental approaches. (4.1)
- Apply effective and appropriate communication methods for discussing physics concepts, data and analysis with diverse audiences. (5.1)
Contribution to the development of graduate attributes
On completion of this subject, students are expected to be able to:
1. Disciplinary knowledge
- recognise the principles and laws of electronics relevant to a graduate scientist working in a laboratory requiring measurement and control instrumentation.
- apply DC and AC electronics concepts to a range of problems in electronics and instrumentation.
- discuss how basic control and measurement techniques can be applied in advanced industry and research contexts
2. Research, Inquiry and critical thinking
- design and modify experiments through the application of basic electronics principles
- develop problem solving strategies appropriate to DC and AC analogue electronic circuits
3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility
- apply methods of analysis of experimental data, including computer-based approaches
- implement quantitative and qualitative approaches to problem analysis requiring equation manipulation and data fitting; appreciate the influence of measurement errors on numerical values deduced from experimental data.
- maintain accurate and well organised record of work carried out in laboratory, lecture and tutorial settings.
4. Reflection, Innovation, Creativity
- Identify opportunities to improve understanding of important principles and concepts through self-awareness and reflection on their own learning trajectory.
5. Communication
- communicate clearly intentions, requirements and results with colleagues and peers in a laboratory context to enable effective work in small groups and teams
- demonstrate clarity, method and insight through the record of their laboratory logbook.
Teaching and learning strategies
Lecture material will be provided as videos made available through Canvas each week.
Short, formative weekly online quizzes for each topic, linked alongside the lecture videos in the relevant Canvas page, will provide students the opportunity for immediate feedback on their progress in understanding and applying concepts covered in the lecture videos. These quizzes are designed to help students identify key concepts in each topic, and may be attempted as many times as required.
These weekly quizzes will need to be completed each week, with students needing to achieve a minimum threshold mark, as specified in each quiz, to gain access to the Canvas modules for subsequent topics.
One two-hour workshop session per week will be run throughout the session to discuss concepts from lectures. Example quiz questions and practice analytical questions (of the same type that the exam will be made up of) will be discussed during lecture workshops to stimulate a deeper exploration of concepts and improve understanding. Students are expected to have reviewed lecture and supporting material (e.g., videos and quizzes on Canvas) before attending. The scheduled time will be used for interactive discussion. Where possible, lectures will be linked with materials covered in proceeding tutorial and practical laboratory sessions, and will present research and industry context and extensions for the basic techniques explored in the laboratory.
Weekly practice questions and worked solutions will allow students to explore how to apply analytical concepts and techniques to concrete circuits. Problem Sets of the students' individual work will be formally assessed 3 times during semester to allow students to assess and receive direct feedback on their progress in applying those analytical concepts. A one-hour tutorial session with a tutor will be available throughout the session to provide an opportunity to ask questions and get informal feedback prior to submission.
Developed understanding of both specific concepts and analytical techniques will be assessed in the final exam. Weekly quizzes and practice questions are designed to be similar in style and format to the questions which will assessed in the final exam, and therefore provide a regular weekly opportunity to learn the concepts and techniques which will be required to be successful in the exam.
While students are of course expected to submit individual solutions to Problems Sets, collaboration during and outside tutorial sessions is also encouraged to enable peer-assisted learning and feedback. Students are encouraged to make use of relevant online communication spaces in Canvas and Teams to facilitate collaboration. Students are expected to work individually, and not collaboratively or in groups, for the final exam.
Practical expertise and understanding of real-world effects will be further developed during laboratory sessions throughout the subject. A two-hour practical session will be available each week, in which lecture and tutorial concepts are reinforced with hands-on exercises. Students are strongly encouraged to read the laboratory notes and explore preliminary design or calculation elements prior to attending the lab session. They will usually work collaboratively in small groups (pairs) during the labs to develop professional communication skills and working relationships. The labs are designed to actively develop essential practical skills and provide cumulative assessment of student progress throughout the semester. Students are encouraged to seek informal feedback from demonstrators on skills, knowledge, and important aspects of records keeping, prior to submitting their results at the end of the laboratory session. The practical skills developed, when combined, will enable more sophisticated techniques to be applied towards the end of the subject.
During the laboratory sessions, students will be expected to keep individual electronic logbooks of their experimental work, and submit them as part of their results for each lab. This task is designed to help the students create good habits in what is a critical professional skill, and formal and informal feedback from markers and demonstrators will assist them to develop a style and level of detail appropriate for a practising scientist or researcher. Students are strongly encouraged to carry this practice over also into both lecture and tutorial contexts.
Deeper conceptual understanding in the laboratory will be further encouraged through a standing learning reflection activity to be carried out at the end of each week’s labbook.
Content (topics)
Techniques for low- and high-frequency control and measurement in electronics
- Electric and magnetic fields (revision): selected concepts from electrostatics and magnetostatics, static and moving charges, conductivity.
- Electrical circuits (revision): electrical components (resistive and reactive, active and passive, linear and nonlinear), voltage and current, conservation laws, Kirchhoff’s laws, series and parallel resistance.
- Reactive electrical components (revision): capacitors and inductors, series and parallel combinations, stored electrical and magnetic energy, magnetic flux and magnetic fields, solenoids, reactance and impedance, constitutive relations.
- Semiconductor theory: Insulators, semiconductors and conductors. Energy bands. Structure of silicon, holes and electrons, p-type and n-type semiconductors. Response in electric field. P-N junctions, barrier potential, reverse bias, forward bias, diodes, Zener diodes.
- Bipolar Transistor: Basic action of the transistor, current gain, transistor characteristics, transistor switch.
- Advanced transistor applications, quantum devices, low-temperature amplifiers.
- Complex representation of AC signals. Complex impedance, series and parallel, Thévenin and Norton equivalent circuits, general current voltage (IV) circuits (basic building blocks)
- Voltage dividers, resistive and reactive, circuit loading, transfer functions, filter functions, AC spectral response, Fourier response and linear circuits.
- Signals, noise and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Types of noise. Signal integration. AM and FM. Lock-in amplification.
- Fourier transforms. FFT. Convolution vs multiplication. Noise spectra. Noise spectral density.
- Introduction to Op-Amps: Feedback, differential amplifier, common mode gain.
- Op-Amps: Inverting and non-inverting amplifier, offsets, biasing. (Lab: Inverting and non-inverting amplifier)
- Characteristics of Op-Amps: Op-Amp frequency response, closed and open loop response, CMRR.
- Op-Amp applications: Differential amplifier, Voltage follower, Constant current sources, Instrumentation Amplifiers
- Current and voltage sources: Transformers, basic shunt and series regulators, IC regulators.
- Active and passive filters & oscillators, resonant circuits.
- Test and measurement equipment. Signal generators, AWGs, amplifiers.
- Mixers. Signal multiplication. Up-conversion and down-conversion. Homodyne and heterodyne detection. Carrier pulse shaping.
- Fast “DC” pulse shaping. Signal distortions. Transfer functions.
- Coaxial cables. Transmission lines. Waveguides. Travelling waves. Frequency dependence / dispersion. Cut-off frequencies, propagation constant.
- Network analysis, scattering parameters.
- Cryogenic and low-temperature electronics.
(Note: Not all of the above topics will be discussed)
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Circuit Design and Analysis Problem Sets
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge and its appropriate application 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1 and 2.1 |
| Type: | Exercises |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | Concepts and circuit operation explained correctly. |
Assessment task 2: Practical Assessment
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 3. Professional, ethical, and social responsibility 4. Reflection, Innovation, Creativity 5. Communication |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1, 2 and 4 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1, 3.1, 4.1 and 5.1 |
| Type: | Laboratory/practical |
| Groupwork: | Group, individually assessed |
| Weight: | 40% |
| Criteria: | Appropriate hardware component values selected to match circuit performance specifications. |
Assessment task 3: Final Exam
| Intent: | This assessment task contributes to the development of the following graduate attributes: 1. Disciplinary knowledge 2. Research, inquiry, and critical thinking |
|---|---|
| Objective(s): | This assessment task addresses subject learning objective(s): 1 and 3 This assessment task contributes to the development of course intended learning outcome(s): 1.1 and 2.1 |
| Type: | Examination |
| Groupwork: | Individual |
| Weight: | 30% |
| Criteria: | Concepts and circuit operation explained correctly. |
Recommended texts
Comprehensive class notes, which include lecture slides, practice questions and solutions, and laboratory notes will be provided on Canvas. Good textbooks for additional reading are: The Art of Electronics (3rd edition) by Paul Horowitz and Winfield Hill, and Electronic and Electrical Engineering (3rd edition) by Lionel Warnes (McMillan Press)
Other resources
The material covered in this course is quite general in nature and is treated in many electronics texts. There are also useful computer simulations (e.g. Java applets) which your lecturers may refer to and demonstrate during the lectures.