While the mentioned characterization techniques (magnetometry, spectroscopy, electrical transport, thermal transport) are quite general, the software was designed for the use with a very specific setup comprising instruments from various vendors. I agree that a software tool for characterizing quantum materials using a set of standard techniques would be quite useful. However, I see a strong limitation of the usefulness resulting from the very specific selection of hardware components required.
To give an example: lock-in amplifiers, nanovoltmeters, current sources and RF signal generators with comparable specs are available from various vendors. The same holds for a cryostat and magnet system (the QD PPMS Dynocool is just one of many on the market). Since the software is designed specificly for the described setup, it can only be used when combining the very same set of instruments. How many research groups worldwide have exactly this configuration? I guess that this number is very small (< 10 ?).
My suggestion is to implement the instruments (i.e. current source, nanovoltmeter, magnet, cooler, ...) as an abstract concept and to provide an interface to (easily) implement any compatible instrument (i.e. nanovoltmeters from any vendor). This would enormously enlarge the number of potential users.
While the mentioned characterization techniques (magnetometry, spectroscopy, electrical transport, thermal transport) are quite general, the software was designed for the use with a very specific setup comprising instruments from various vendors. I agree that a software tool for characterizing quantum materials using a set of standard techniques would be quite useful. However, I see a strong limitation of the usefulness resulting from the very specific selection of hardware components required.
To give an example: lock-in amplifiers, nanovoltmeters, current sources and RF signal generators with comparable specs are available from various vendors. The same holds for a cryostat and magnet system (the QD PPMS Dynocool is just one of many on the market). Since the software is designed specificly for the described setup, it can only be used when combining the very same set of instruments. How many research groups worldwide have exactly this configuration? I guess that this number is very small (< 10 ?).
My suggestion is to implement the instruments (i.e. current source, nanovoltmeter, magnet, cooler, ...) as an abstract concept and to provide an interface to (easily) implement any compatible instrument (i.e. nanovoltmeters from any vendor). This would enormously enlarge the number of potential users.