In tokamaks such as WEST, one of the main diagnostics used to measure plasma density is a laser interferometer. It relies on the phase difference between a probing beam passing through the plasma and a reference beam. This phase shift is directly related to the electron density of the plasma.

The objective of this apprenticeship is to develop a robust real-time phase comparison system based on a zero-crossing detection algorithm implemented on a Red Pitaya board equipped with an FPGA.

Your main tasks will include:

• Designing and implementing an FPGA-based zero-crossing algorithm for phase measurement;
• Developing real-time error detection and correction mechanisms (signal loss, fringe jumps, anomalies);
• Improving fringe jump detection methods;
• Benchmarking the developed solution against the existing diagnostic system;
• Validating the algorithms through simulations and Python-based analysis tools.

Initially, the work will focus on laboratory testing of the FPGA implementation. Depending on progress, validation using real plasma data may also be performed.

This project is also part of a broader European framework (Eurofusion – WP-DTT) and addresses key challenges for future fusion devices.

Expected deliverables:

• FPGA code implementing phase measurement on the Red Pitaya platform;
• Python scripts for testing and data analysis;
• Final report summarizing the work;
• Presentation of results to the WEST team.

You are currently pursuing a Master’s degree or an engineering degree in electronics, instrumentation, or embedded systems.

Ideally, you have:

• Knowledge of System-on-Chip (SoC) and FPGA programming;
• Background in signal processing and time series analysis;
• Python programming skills for data analysis;
• Interest in electronics and embedded systems.