Silicon quantum dots for quantum information processing

Author: Ross Leon

Supervisor: Prof. Andrew Dzurak, Dr. Alessandro Rossi dot1 dot2

Research Theme: The Digital Future

Background and Motivation |0> |1>

Quantum dot presents if electrons are confined in a small region and energy is discrete.
Electrons have a spin property. Two electrons can be coupled to form a Qubit, representing logic. Dot 1 Dot 2 Dot 1 Dot 2
Electrons occupy different quantum dots when representing different logics, hence one can measure electron
charge instead of spin, this is called spin-charge conversion.
Double Quantum Dot (DQD) double reservoir system allows us to measure current directly, current
resonate when quantum dot energy changes and number of electrons changes.
To isolated electron in DQD, Single reservoir system forbid direct current measurement.

Aim
Remotely detect movement of electrons across regions in a
Method
double dot single reservoir system
General methodology to
Distinguish electron movements within different parts of the
simulate the result is shown reservoir
system
as follows:
Optimise detection quality by changing detector position
reservoir SET
SET

C1 C2
reservoir dot1 dot2
Principle of Operation
Dot 1 Dot 2
Dot 2
ISET Dot 1
FastCap: calculate mutual capacitance between all
Single Electron Transistor (SET) has its own metals
reservoirs with continuous current flow. FCGUI2008 (Matlab program): 3D drawing Simon: simulate quantum effect. Note: an equivalent
Imbalance capacitance between each dot and SET schematic circuit of the quantum device is built to perform
Schematic simulations of the electrical characteristics
induce different effect in SET current
Changing charge occupancy of each dot will affect
SET current, either by: Physical 3D 3D Capacitance Capacitance
Design Simulator Result
1. Applying voltage to each quantum dot dimension Design Model Calculation Matrix
2. Electrons tunnel from one region to another
Review

Results
1. Effect of Location of SET detector 2. Electron tunnelling detection In practice charge stability plot cannot be obtained.
Measurement from SET detector current results in a saw-
The magnitude of the charge sensing signal depends on Green and red lines in charge stability plot separates into regions tooth shape due to:
distance between SET and each dot whose occupancy with different electron numbers (Dot 1, Dot2).
a. Either of the quantum dot voltages increase, result
changes. Detector position: Number of electrons in both quantum dot in each Z-shape region are
in oblique SET current.
definite.
b. Electron ‘jump’ into/out of either quantum dot,
Number of electrons in rhombus region in between depends on
a. Vertical displacement causes vertical jump in SET current
previous electron activities:
i. Distance (hence
capacitance) between
each dot and SET a. Loading electrons
α (eg. sweeping left to
becomes comparable, β
hence unable to right along blue
distinguish different type of dash line): only
electrons tunnelling green lines in effect,
behaviours. ie. (M,N)

b. Unloading
b. Horizontal displacement: electrons (eg.
i. SET current fluctuation sweeping right to left a b

magnitude is overwhelmed along blue dash

by background noise. line) only red lines in
effect, ie. (M,N+1)
ii. Similar to a(i), tunnelling
α
behaviours cannot be β
recognised.

α
Voltage sweep across
β black dash line results in all 3
types of electron tunnelling
β γ
events.
Different electron tunnelling
events induce different α
magnitude of SET current
jump.
reservoir Dot 1 Dot 2

Conclusion Future Work

SET can be used to detect electron tunnelling in double dot single reservoir system. To investigate spin charge conversion and conduct experiments to detect and deduce spin
Different electron tunnelling events can be distinguished by configuring SET detector location. state of a quantum dot
This work has a significant impact in readout information from a spin qubit. To control spin state of current quantum dot system, and store information before readout.