Qimchi

Qimchi combines live plotting with interactive exploration of recorded datasets in a single, open-source environment for scientific visualization and analysis. Developed for experimental condensed matter / quantum research, it enables researchers to examine multidimensional data and compare experimental results without repeatedly constructing custom plotting workflows. Since measurements can be explored while acquisition is still in progress, researchers can act on emerging observations without waiting for a separate analysis stage. The result is a closer connection between acquiring data, understanding its structure, and deciding what to measure next.

Rather than requiring a particular measurement system, Qimchi fits into existing experimental workflows. Its xarray-based data model provides a common foundation for working with formats such as NetCDF, Zarr, and HDF5, while Qimchi-Connect and integration with Qanary extend this approach to live acquisition. Researchers can therefore retain their preferred acquisition tools while using a consistent environment to explore, process, and document measurements across experiments.

Developed at Forschungszentrum Jülich, PGI-11, Qimchi is released under the GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL-3.0-or-later). It is available as a desktop application or through a browser-accessible Docker deployment, supporting both individual use and shared laboratory environments. Although motivated by quantum measurements, its extensible data model makes it applicable wherever researchers need to explore multidimensional experimental data.