Levente J. Klein

Elastically relaxed free-standing strained-silicon nanomembranes

Strain plays a critical role in the properties of materials. In silicon and silicon–germanium, strain provides a mechanism for control of both carrier mobility and band offsets. In materials integration, strain is typically tuned through the use of dislocations and elemental composition. We demonstrate a versatile method to control strain by fabricating membranes in which the final strain state is controlled by elastic strain sharing, that is, without the formation of defects. We grow Si/SiGe layers on a substrate from which they can be released, forming nanomembranes. X-ray-diffraction measurements confirm a final strain predicted by elasticity theory. The effectiveness of elastic strain to alter electronic properties is demonstrated by low-temperature longitudinal Hall-effect measurements on a strained-silicon quantum well before and after release. Elastic strain sharing and film transfer offer an intriguing path towards complex, multiple-layer structures in which each layer’s properties are controlled elastically, without the introduction of undesirable defects.

Controllable valley splitting in silicon quantum devices

Silicon has many attractive properties for quantum computing, and the quantum-dot architecture is appealing because of its controllability and scalability. However, the multiple valleys in the silicon conduction band are potentially a serious source of decoherence for spin-based quantum-dot qubits. Only when a large energy splits these valleys do we obtain well-defined and long-lived spin states appropriate for quantum computing. Here, we show that the small valley splittings observed in previous experiments on Si–SiGe heterostructures result from atomic steps at the quantum-well interface. Lateral confinement in a quantum point contact limits the electron wavefunctions to several steps, and enhances the valley splitting substantially, up to 1.5 meV. The combination of electrostatic and magnetic confinement produces a valley splitting larger than the spin splitting, which is controllable over a wide range. These results improve the outlook for realizing spin qubits with long coherence times in silicon-based devices.

Single-electron quantum dot in Si∕SiGe with integrated charge sensing

Single-electron occupation is an essential component to the measurement and manipulation of spin in quantum dots, capabilities that are important for quantum information processing. Si∕SiGe is of interest for semiconductor spin qubits, but single-electron quantum dots have not yet been achieved in this system. We report the fabrication and measurement of a top-gated quantum dot occupied by a single electron in a Si∕SiGe heterostructure. Transport through the quantum dot is directly correlated with charge sensing from an integrated quantum point contact, and this charge sensing is used to confirm single-electron occupancy in the quantum dot.

Coulomb blockade in a silicon/silicon–germanium two-dimensional electron gas quantum dot

We report the fabrication and electrical characterization of a single electron transistor in a modulation doped silicon/silicon–germanium heterostructure. The quantum dot is fabricated by electron beam lithography and subsequent reactive ion etching. The dot potential and electron density are modified by laterally defined side gates in the plane of the dot. Low temperature measurements show Coulomb blockade with a single electron charging energy of 3.2 meV.

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

Coulomb blockade and Kondo effect in a few-electron silicon/silicon-germanium quantum dot

Transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures through a few-electron top gated quantum dot fabricated in a silicon/silicon-germanium heterostructure are reported. Variations in gate voltage induce a transition from an isolated dot toward a dot strongly coupled to the leads. In addition to Coulomb blockade, when the dot is strongly coupled to the leads, the authors observe the appearance of a zero bias conductance peak due to the Kondo effect. The Kondo peak splits in a magnetic field, and the splitting scales linearly with the applied field. They also observe a transition from pure Coulomb blockade to peaks with a Fano line shape.

Quantum dots in Si/SiGe 2DEGs with Schottky top-gated leads

We report on the fabrication and characterization of quantum-dot devices in a Schottky-gated silicon/silicon–germanium modulation-doped two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The dots are confined laterally inside an etch-defined channel, while their potential is modulated by an etch-defined 2DEG gate in the plane of the dot. For the first time in this material, Schottky top gates are used to define and tune the tunnel barriers of the dot. The leakage current from the gates is reduced by minimizing their active area. Further suppression of the leakage is achieved by increasing the etch depth of the channel. The top gates are used to put the dot into the Coulomb-blockade regime, and conductance oscillations are observed as the voltage on the side gate is varied.

Magnetotransport through two dimensional electron gas in a tubular geometry

The authors report on topology dependent electron transport in tubular shaped two dimensional electron gas. These micron sized tubes are realized in strained InGaAs quantum wells as a first step towards investigating geometric potentials in low dimensional quantum systems. They investigate the topology induced change in magnetoresistance of the electronic system in a perpendicular magnetic field. At low magnetic field, an increased zero field magnetoresistance followed by a negative magnetoresistance is observed. They ascribe this effect to an increase in electron scattering along the curved regions. At high magnetic fields they observe a linear increase in resistance of the curved region as compared to planar regions.

Quantum dots and etch-induced depletion of a silicon two-dimensional electron gas

The controlled depletion of electrons in semiconductors is the basis for numerous devices. Reactive-ion etching provides an effective technique for fabricating both classical and quantum devices. However, Fermi level pinning can occur, and must be carefully considered in the development of small devices, such as quantum dots. Because of depletion, the electrical size of the device is reduced in comparison with its physical dimension. To investigate this issue, we fabricate several types of devices in silicon-germanium heterostructures using two different etches, CF

Modeling and experimental investigation of cantilever dynamics in force detected single electron tunneling

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