Charles Tahan

Decoherence of electron spin qubits in Si-based quantum computers

Direct phonon spin-lattice relaxation of an electron qubit bound by a donor impurity or quantum dot in SiGe heterostructures is investigated. The aim is to evaluate the importance of decoherence from this mechanism in several important solid-state quantum computer designs operating at low temperatures. We calculate the relaxation rate 1/T 1 as a function of [100] uniaxial strain, temperature, magnetic field, and silicon/germanium content for Si:P bound electrons and quantum dots. The quantum dot potential is much smoother, leading to smaller splittings of the valley degeneracies. We have estimated these splittings in order to obtain upper bounds for the relaxation rate. In general, we find that the relaxation rate is strongly decreased by uniaxial compressive strain in a SiGe-Si-SiGe quantum well, making this strain an important positive design feature. Ge in high concentrations (particularly over 85%) increases the rate, making Si-rich materials preferable. We conclude that SiGe bound electron qubits must meet certain conditions to minimize decoherence but that spin-phonon relaxation does not rule out the solid-state implementation of error-tolerant quantum computing.

Spin-Based Quantum Dot Quantum Computing in Silicon

AbstractThe spins of localized electrons in silicon are strong candidates for quantum information processing because of their extremely long coherence times and the integrability of Si within the present microelectronics infrastructure. This paper reviews a strategy for fabricating single electron spin qubits in gated quantum dots in Si/SiGe heterostructures. We discuss the pros and cons of using silicon, present recent advances, and outline challenges. PACS: 03.67.Pp, 03.67.Lx, 85.35.Be, 73.21.La

Spin readout and initialization in semiconductor quantum dots

Electron spin qubits in semiconductors are attractive from the viewpoint of long coherence times. However, single spin measurement is challenging. Several promising schemes incorporate ancillary tunnel couplings that may provide unwanted channels for decoherence. Here, we propose a novel spin-charge transduction scheme, converting spin information to orbital information within a single quantum dot by microwave excitation. The same quantum dot can be used for rapid initialization, gating, and readout. We present detailed modeling of such a device in silicon to confirm its feasibility.

Electron spin resonance and spin-valley physics in a silicon double quantum dot

Silicon quantum dots are a leading approach for solid-state quantum bits. However, developing this technology is complicated by the multi-valley nature of silicon. Here we observe transport of individual electrons in a silicon CMOS-based double quantum dot under electron spin resonance. An anticrossing of the driven dot energy levels is observed when the Zeeman and valley splittings coincide. A detected anticrossing splitting of 60 MHz is interpreted as a direct measure of spin and valley mixing, facilitated by spin-orbit interaction in the presence of non-ideal interfaces. A lower bound of spin dephasing time of 63 ns is extracted. We also describe a possible experimental evidence of an unconventional spin-valley blockade, despite the assumption of non-ideal interfaces. This understanding of silicon spin-valley physics should enable better control and read-out techniques for the spin qubits in an all CMOS silicon approach.

Quantum phase transitions in photonic cavities with two-level systems

Systems of coupled photonic cavities have been predicted to exhibit quantum phase transitions by analogy with the Hubbard model. To this end, we have studied topologies of few (up to six) photonic cavities each containing a single two-level system. Quantum phase space diagrams are produced for these systems, and compared to mean-field results. We also consider finite effective temperature, and compare this to the notion of disorder. We find the extent of the Mott lobes shrink analogously to the conventional Bose-Hubbard model.

Valley splitting theory of SiGe/Si/SiGe quantum wells

We present an effective mass theory for

Quantum fluctuations, temperature, and detuning effects in solid-light systems.

\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{Ge}∕\mathrm{Si}∕\mathrm{Si}\mathrm{Ge}

On-chip cavity quantum phonodynamics with an acceptor qubit in silicon

quantum wells, with an emphasis on calculating the valley splitting. The theory introduces a valley coupling parameter

Valley splitting theory of Si Ge ∕ Si ∕ Si Ge quantum wells

{v}_{v}

Nanotechnology and Society: A discussion-based undergraduate course

which encapsulates the physics of the quantum well interface. The new effective mass parameter is computed by means of a tight binding theory. The resulting formalism provides rather simple analytical results for several geometries of interest, including a finite square well, a quantum well in an electric field, and a modulation doped two-dimensional electron gas. Of particular importance is the problem of a quantum well in a magnetic field, grown on a miscut substrate. The latter may pose a numerical challenge for atomistic techniques such as tight binding, because of its two-dimensional nature. In the effective mass theory, however, the results are straightforward and analytical. We compare our effective mass results with those of the tight binding theory, obtaining excellent agreement.