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Motivated by potential transformative applications of nanoelectronic circuits that incorporate superconducting elements and by the advantages of integrating these elements in a silicon material platform, we investigate the properties of the superconductivity of silicon ion implanted with gallium. Here, we measure 40 different samples and explore both a variety of preparation methods (yielding both superconducting and non-superconducting samples) and the reproducibility of one of the preparation methods yielding superconducting samples. While we find agreement with the existing literature that superconducting effects are visible in this system, we also find that this superconductivity is not influenced by voltages applied to a top gate. The superconductivity in this material system is not gateable for applied electric fields as large as 8 MV/cm. We also present results of scanning transmission electron microscopy imaging of some of the same samples for which we report electronic characterization. In agreement with the existing literature, we find that the presence of Ga precipitates is essential for the presence of a superconducting transition in these samples. However, we also find evidence for large inhomogeneities in this system, which we discuss in connection with the lack of gateability we report here. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A primary method of reading out a quantum dot hybrid qubit involves projection of the logical basis onto distinct charge states that are readily detected by an integrated charge sensing dot. However, in the simplest configuration, the excited charge state decays rapidly, making a single-shot readout challenging. Here, we demonstrate a readout procedure where the qubit excited state is latched to a metastable charge configuration whose lifetime is tunnel-rate limited, persisting here as long as 2.5 ms. Additionally, we show that working in the (4,1)–(3,2) charge configuration enables a latched readout window that is larger and more tunable than typical charge configurations, because the size of the readout window is determined by an orbital splitting rather than a valley splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly coherent and tightly focused x-ray beams produced by hard x-ray light sources enable the nanoscale characterization of the structure of electronic materials but are accompanied by significant challenges in the interpretation of diffraction and scattering patterns. X-ray nanobeams exhibit optical coherence combined with a large angular divergence introduced by the x-ray focusing optics. The scattering of nanofocused x-ray beams from intricate semiconductor heterostructures produces a complex distribution of scattered intensity. We report here an extension of coherent x-ray optical simulations of convergent x-ray beam diffraction patterns to arbitrary x-ray incident angles to allow the nanobeam diffraction patterns of complex heterostructures to be simulated faithfully. These methods are used to extract the misorientation of lattice planes and the strain of individual layers from synchrotron x-ray nanobeam diffraction patterns of Si/SiGe heterostructures relevant to applications in quantum electronic devices. The systematic interpretation of nanobeam diffraction patterns from semiconductor heterostructures presents a new opportunity in characterizing and ultimately designing electronic materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recombination dynamics of neutral donor bound excitons (DoX: I4, I6/6a) and near band edge defect-related emission in solution grown ZnO nanorods are investigated using steady state and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The effects of annealing are also studied. Low temperature steady state PL shows a systematic removal of the I4 line after annealing at 450 °C and the subsequent domination of I6a in these PL spectra. Additionally, the time decay of the I4, I6/6a, free exciton (FX), and basal plane stacking fault-related (BSF) PL transitions are studied as a function of annealing temperature. For the various annealing temperatures studied, the PL decay is described by a bi-exponential profile with a fast component (contribution from the surface) and slow component (related to bulk recombination). The fast component dominates in the case of as-grown and low temperature annealed samples (anneal temperatures up to 300 °C), suggesting the presence of surface adsorbed impurities. For samples annealed above 400 °C, the effects of the surface are reduced. The sample annealed at 850 °C produced an overall enhancement of the crystal quality. The underlying mechanisms for the observed PL characteristics are discussed based on near surface band bending caused by surface impurities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Future commercial installation of wave energy plants using point absorber technology will require clusters of tens up to several hundred devices, in order to reach a viable electricity production. Interconnected devices also serve the purpose of power smoothing, which is especially important for devices using direct-driven power take off. The scope of this paper is to evaluate a method to optimize wave energy farms in terms of power production, economic viability, and resources. In particular, the paper deals with the power variation in a large array of point-absorbing direct-driven wave energy converters, and the smoothing effect due to the number of devices and their hydrodynamic interactions. A few array geometries are compared and 34 sea states measured at the Lysekil research site at the Swedish west coast are used in the simulations. Potential linear flow theory is used with full hydrodynamic interactions between the buoys. It is shown that the variance in power production depends crucially on the geometry of the array and the number of interacting devices, but not significantly on the energy period of the waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop an engineered microwave environment for coupling high Q superconducting resonators to quantum dots using a multilayer fabrication stack for dot control wiring. Analytical and numerical models are presented, which show that high resonator quality factors can be attained by either minimizing the parasitic coupling capacitance to the leads or creating a low effective environmental impedance at the cavity frequency. We implement the later approach by fabricating low characteristic impedance ( Z g ≈ 10 Ω) microstrips on-chip for the dot bias wiring and show resonator quality factors of 8140 that can be attained without the addition of explicit filtering. Using this approach, we demonstrate single electron occupation in double and triple dots detected via dipole or quadrupole coupling to a superconducting resonator. Additionally, by using multilayer fabrication, we are able to improve ground plane integrity and keep microwave crosstalk below −20 dB out to 18 GHz while maintaining high wire density, which will be necessary for future circuit quantum electrodynamics quantum dot processors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dielectric spectra of two K0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics with different grain sizes (10 and 0.5 μm) were measured from 102 to 1014 Hz in a broad temperature range. The sequence of first-order phase transitions (cubic-tetragonal-orthorhombic-rhombohedral) was detected by differential scanning calorimetry, dielectric spectroscopy, and time-domain terahertz spectroscopy. The grain size affects all the phase transitions, which are more smeared in the small-grain sample. In the large-grain ceramics, two well-separated near-Debye relaxations are seen in the tetragonal phase, which suddenly merge on cooling across the tetragonal-orthorhombic transition, and on further cooling the lower-frequency relaxation strongly broadens. On reducing the grain size, the higher-frequency relaxation shifts from ∼1 to ∼20 GHz and the lower-frequency one strongly broadens. Without quantitative understanding, these effects could be assigned to domain-wall dynamics and its temperature and grain-size dependences. Similar to pure KNbO3, an overlapped central-mode–soft-mode type excitation was detected in the terahertz range related to the effective hopping and oscillations of the off-centered Nb ions in a multiwell potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The full-scale direct-driven wave energy converter developed at Uppsala University has been in offshore operation at the Swedish west coast since 2006. Earlier simulations have now been validated by full-scale experiment with good agreement. Based on that, a theoretical model for a passive system having optimum amplitude response at frequencies coinciding with Swedish west coast conditions has been developed. The amplitude response is increased by adding supplementary inertia by use of the additional mass from a submerged body. A sphere with neutral buoyancy is chosen as the submerged body and modeled as being below the motion of the waves. The model is based on potential linear wave theory and the power capture ratio is studied for real ocean wave data collected at the research test site. It is found that the power capture ratio for the two body system can be increased from 30% to 60% compared to a single body system. Increased velocity in the system also decreases the value for optimal load damping from the generator, opening up the possibility to design smaller units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full scale prototype of a wave power plant based on a direct drive linear generator driven by a point absorber has been installed at the west coast of Sweden. In this paper, experimentally collected data of energy absorption for different electrical loads are used to verify a model of the wave power plant including the interactions of wave, buoy, generator, and external load circuit. The wave-buoy interaction is modeled with linear potential wave theory. The generator is modeled as a nonlinear mechanical damping function that is dependent on piston velocity and electric load. The results show good agreement between experiments and simulations. Potential wave theory is well suited for the modeling of a point absorber in normal operation and for the design of future converters. Moreover, the simulations are fast, which opens up for simulations of wave farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optoelectronic measurements of carbon nanotube transistors have shown a wide variety of sensitivites to the incident light. Direct photocurrent processes compete with a number of extrinsic mechanisms. Here we show that visible light absorption in the silicon substrate generates a photovoltage that can electrically gate the nanotube device. The photocurrent induced by the changing gate voltage can be significantly larger than that due to direct electron-hole pair generation in the nanotube. The dominance of photogating in these devices is confirmed by the power and position dependence of the resulting photocurrent. The power dependence is strongly nonlinear and photocurrents are measured through the device even when the laser illuminates up to 1 mm from the nanotube. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 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 in modulation-doped silicon single-electron transistors, we fabricate several types of devices in silicon-germanium heterostructures using two different etches, CF4 and SF6. We estimate the depletion width associated with each etch by two methods: (i) conductance measurements in etched wires of decreasing thickness (to determine the onset of depletion), and (ii) capacitance measurements of quantum dots (to estimate the size of the active region). We find that the SF6 etch causes a much smaller depletion width, making it more suitable for device fabrication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied metallic and oxidized chromium layers on thin ordered alumina films grown on a NiAl(110) substrate using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The interaction between the chromium layers and the substrate has been characterized after deposition at room temperature and after oxidation at 300 and 700 K. Our results indicate partial oxidation of the deposited chromium with the fraction of oxidized Cr decreasing with increasing Cr coverage. Oxidation of the chromium layers at room temperature using O[sub 2] results in Cr[sup 3+] species on the surface. These oxidized chromium species can be reduced by heating the sample to 700 K for 5 minutes. Oxidation at 700 K results in chromium species that cannot be thermally reduced. Our results do not indicate formation of Cr[sup 6+] species although such are present in impregnated catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining high quality, wurtzite InN films with p-type conductivity is a challenge, and there is limited information about the photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of such films. In this study, we present a comprehensive PL study and discuss in detail the recombination processes in Mg-doped InN films with varying Mg concentrations. We find that at low Mg-doping of 1×1018 cm-3, which yields p-type conductivity, the PL in InN is spatially inhomogeneous. The latter is suggested to be associated with the presence of n-type pockets, displaying photoluminescence at 0.73 eV involving electrons at the Fermi edge above the conduction band edge. Increasing the Mg concentration to 2.9×1019 cm-3 in p-type InN yields strong and spatially uniform photoluminescence at 0.62 eV and 0.68 eV visible all the way to room temperature, indicating homogeneous p-type conductivity. An acceptor binding energy of 64 meV is determined for the Mg acceptor. Further increase of the Mg concentration to 1.8×1020 cm-3 leads to switching conductivity back to n-type. The PL spectra in this highly doped sample reveal only the emission related to the Mg acceptor (at 0.61 eV). In the low-energy tail of the emission, the multiple peaks observed at 0.54 – 0.58 eV are suggested to originate from recombination of carriers localized at stacking faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a simple electrostatic model of the adsorbate-adsorbate interaction of hydrogen atoms at a Pd-SiO2 interface. Prediction of a hydrogen adsorption isotherm of the Temkin type; Description of the hydrogen sensitive Pd-MOS structure; Measurement of atmospheric pressures.

Discusses a study which detailed a kinetic modeling of the hydrogen interaction with a Pd-SiO[sub2]-Si (Pd-MOS) device. Types of sensors; Use of a Pd-MIS device; Description of the hydrogen sensing technique with field effect devices.

Atomic-scale disorder at the top interface of a Si quantum well is known to suppress valley splitting. Such disorder may be inherited from the underlying substrate and relaxed buffer growth, but can also arise at the top quantum well interface due to the random SiGe alloy. Here, we perform activation energy (transport) measurements in the quantum Hall regime to determine the source of the disorder affecting the valley splitting. We consider three Si/SiGe heterostructures with nominally identical substrates but different barriers at the top of the quantum well, including two samples with pure-Ge interfaces. For all three samples, we observe a surprisingly strong and universal dependence of the valley splitting on the electron density (Ev ∼ n2.7) over the entire experimental range (Ev = 30–200 μeV). We interpret these results via tight binding theory, arguing that the underlying valley physics is determined mainly by disorder arising from the substrate and relaxed buffer growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disorder in the potential-energy landscape presents a major obstacle to the more rapid development of semiconductor quantum device technologies. We report a large-magnitude source of disorder, beyond commonly considered unintentional background doping or fixed charge in oxide layers: nanoscale strain fields induced by residual stresses in nanopatterned metal gates. Quantitative analysis of synchrotron coherent hard x-ray nanobeam diffraction patterns reveals gate-induced curvature and strains up to 0.03% in a buried Si quantum well within a Si/SiGe heterostructure. Electrode stress presents both challenges to the design of devices and opportunities associated with the lateral manipulation of electronic energy levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving controllable coupling of dopants in silicon is crucial for operating donor-based qubit devices, but it is difficult because of the small size of donor-bound electron wavefunctions. Here, we report the characterization of a quantum dot coupled to a localized electronic state and present evidence of controllable coupling between the quantum dot and the localized state. A set of measurements of transport through the device enable the determination that the most likely location of the localized state is consistent with a location in the quantum well near the edge of the quantum dot. Our results are consistent with a gate-voltage controllable tunnel coupling, which is an important building block for hybrid donor and gate-defined quantum dot devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the carrier dynamics near basal stacking faults (BSFs) in m-plane ZnO epitaxial film. The behaviors of the type-II quantum wells related to the BSFs are verified through time-resolved and time-integrated photoluminescence. The decay time of the emission of BSFs is observed to have a higher power law value and longer decay time than the emission of the donor-bound excitons. The spectral-dependent decay times reveal a phenomenon of carriers migrating among band tail states, which are related to the spatial distribution of the type-II quantum wells formed by the BSFs. A high density of excited carriers leads to a band bending effect, which in turn causes a blue-shift of the emission peak of BSFs with a broadened distribution of band tail states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of the exciton and the biexciton related emission from a single InGaN quantum dot (QD) have been measured by time-resolved microphotoluminescence spectroscopy. An exciton-biexciton pair of the same QD was identified by the combination of power dependence and polarization-resolved spectroscopy. Moreover, the spectral temperature evolution was utilized in order to distinguish the biexciton from a trion. Both the exciton and the biexciton related emission reveal mono-exponential decays corresponding to time constants of ∼900 and ∼500 ps, respectively. The obtained lifetime ratio of ∼1.8 indicates that the QD is small, with a size comparable to the exciton Bohr radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma etching is a critical tool in the fabrication of Si/SiGe heterostructure quantum devices, but it also presents challenges, including damage to etched feature sidewalls that affects device performance. Chemical and structural changes in device feature sidewalls associated with plasma-surface interactions are considered damage, as they affect band structure and electrical conduction in the active region of the device. Here the authors report the results of experiments designed to better understand the mechanisms of plasma-induced sidewall damage in modulation-doped Si/SiGe heterostructures containing a two-dimensional electron gas. Damage to straight wires fabricated in the heterostructure using plasma etching was characterized both by measuring the width of the nonconductive “sidewall depletion” region at the device sidewall and by measuring the noise level factor γH/N determined from spectra of the low frequency noise. Observed increases in sidewall depletion width with increasing etch depth are tentatively attributed to the increase in total number of sidewall defects with increased plasma exposure time. Excess negative charge trapped on the feature sidewall could be another contributing factor. Defects at the bottom of etched features appear to contribute minimally. The noise level shows a minimum at an ion bombardment energy of ∼100 eV, while the sidewall depletion width is independent of bias voltage, within experimental uncertainty. A proposed explanation of the noise trend involves two competing effects as ion energy increases: the increase in damage caused by each bombarding ion and the reduction in total number of incident ions due to shorter etch times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluorocarbon plasma etching of Si/SiGe heterostructures is demonstrated as a method for fabrication of quantum devices with vertical sidewalls. The heterostructures consist of layers of Si and SiGe, and anisotropic etching of the heterostructures using plasmas to isolate device elements is an attractive approach to fabricating devices. A challenge that has limited the use of fluorocarbon etching is the difference in Si and SiGe etch rates under comparative conditions. Preferential etching of SiGe can lead to undercutting beneath the top Si layer, causing a reduction in critical device dimensions of unknown magnitude. By using fluorocarbon etch gases with high carbon content, fluorocarbon sidewall passivation improves the anisotropy of etched feature profiles by preventing lateral etching of SiGe. Etch results with a C4F8/Ar/N2 gas mixture show a straight sidewall profile through the layers of the heterostructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative electric force microscopy (EFM) is usually restricted to flat samples, because vertical sample topography traditionally makes quantitative interpretation of EFM data difficult. Many important samples, including self-assembled nanostructures, possess interesting nanoscale electrical properties in addition to complex topography. Here we present techniques for analysis of EFM images of such samples, using voltage modulated EFM augmented by three-dimensional simulations. We demonstrate the effectiveness of these techniques in analyzing EFM images of self-assembled SiGe nanostructures on insulator, report measured dielectric properties, and discuss the limitations sample topography places on quantitative measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes the MAX II storage ring being constructed at the MAX laboratory at Lund University in Lund, Sweden, for use in synchrotron radiation research. Design considerations; Systems for extraction and injection; Magnets; Lattice; Vacuum system; Scientific program.

The design of a photoemission microprobe beamline at the MAX laboratory is presented. The beamline will utilize the radiation from a 26 period undulator on the 550-MeV MAX storage ring. The beamline will be capable of providing about 10[sup 10] photons/s of monochromatized radiation (bandwidth better than 0.25 eV ) in the energy range of 20 to 150 eV focused into a submicrometer focal spot. It will be used for scarming photoemission experiments with a lateral resolution better than 1 μm. The optical system is comprised of a plane-grating monochromator with a Kirkpatrick-Baez objective and a specially designed ellipsoidal focusing mirror. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring multiple quantum devices on a single chip increases characterization throughput and enables testing of device repeatability, process yield, and systematic variations in device design. We present a method that uses on-chip field-effect transistor switches to enable multiplexed cryogenic measurements of double quantum dot Si/SiGe devices. Multiplexing enables the characterization of a number of devices that scales exponentially with the number of external wires, a key capability given the significant constraints on cryostat wiring. Using this approach, we characterize three quantum-point contact channels and compare threshold voltages for accumulation and pinch-off voltages during a single cool-down of a dilution refrigerator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the operation of a radio frequency superconducting single-electron transistor (rf-SSET) as a charge sensor for single and double Si/SiGe quantum dots (QDs). Real-time electron tunneling events are observed from the reflected signal of the rf-SSET with a charge sensitivity of [formula], which demonstrates a fast charge detection time of a few tens of microseconds. Measurements of the reflected power are used to map out the stability diagram of the double quantum dot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We measure the excited-state spectrum of a Si/SiGe quantum dot as a function of in-plane magnetic field and identify the spin of the lowest three eigenstates in an effective two-electron regime. We extract the singlet-triplet splitting, an essential parameter for spin qubits, from the data. We find it to be tunable by lateral displacement of the dot, which is realized by changing two gate voltages on opposite sides of the device. We present calculations showing the data are consistent with a spectrum in which the first excited state of the dot is a valley-orbit state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a robust process for fabrication of surface-gated Si/SiGe quantum dots (QDs) with an integrated superconducting single-electron transistor (SSET) charge sensor. A combination of a deep mesa etch and AlOx backfill is used to reduce gate leakage. After the leakage current is suppressed, Coulomb oscillations of the QD and the current-voltage characteristics of the SSET are observed at a temperature of 0.3 K. Coupling of the SSET to the QD is confirmed by using the SSET to perform sensing of the QD charge state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present transport measurements of a tunable silicon metal-oxide semiconductor double quantum dot device with lateral geometry. The experimentally extracted gate-to-dot capacitances show that the device is largely symmetric under the gate voltages applied. Intriguingly, these gate voltages themselves are not symmetric. A comparison with numerical simulations indicates that the applied gate voltages serve to offset an intrinsic asymmetry in the physical device. We also show a transition from a large single dot to two well isolated coupled dots, where the central gate of the device is used to controllably tune the interdot coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the fabrication and measurement of one-electron single and double quantum dots with fast tunnel rates in a Si/SiGe heterostructure. Achieving fast tunnel rates in few-electron dots can be challenging, in part due to the large electron effective mass in Si. Using charge sensing, we identify signatures of tunnel rates in and out of the dot that are fast or slow compared to the measurement rate. Such signatures provide a means to calibrate the absolute electron number and verify single electron occupation. Pulsed gate voltage measurements are used to validate the approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laterally coupled charge sensing of quantum dots is highly desirable because it enables measurement even when conduction through the quantum dot itself is suppressed. In this work, we demonstrate such charge sensing in a double-top-gated metal-oxide-semiconductor system. The current through a point contact constriction integrated near a quantum dot shows sharp 2% changes corresponding to charge transitions between the dot and a nearby lead. We extract the coupling capacitance between the charge sensor and the quantum dot, and we show that it agrees well with a three-dimensional capacitance model of the integrated sensor and quantum dot system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A full-scale prototype of a wave power plant has been installed off the Swedish west coast and the overall wave energy converter concept has been verified. Initial results have been collected and significant insights discovered. Energy absorption dependency on load as well as output voltage and power is demonstrated. It is shown that great overload capability of the directly driven linear generator is critical, and indicated that, for resistive loads, optimal load does not vary with wave climate. Future grid supplying energy production would necessitate parks of wave power plants in order to reduce power fluctuations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erratum: "The critical role of substrate disorder in valley splitting in Si quantum wells" [Appl. Phys. In the original published article,[1] a typographical error was discovered in the horizontal axis labels of Fig. 3(a), right panel: instead of 4, 5, and 6, these axis labels should be 4, 6, and 8. [Extracted from the article]

The authors investigate the magnetic field dependence of the energy splitting between low-lying valley states for electrons in a Si/SiGe quantum well tilted with respect to the crystallographic axis. The presence of atomic steps at the quantum well interface may explain the unexpected, strong suppression of the valley splitting observed in recent experiments. The authors find that the suppression is caused by an interference effect associated with multiple steps, and that the magnetic field dependence arises from the lateral confinement of the electronic wave function. Using numerical simulations, the authors clarify the role of step disorder, obtaining quantitative agreement with the experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate a way to direct carbon nanotube growth using Si nanocrystals that are self-ordered via the thermal decomposition of thin silicon-on-insulator substrates. The Si nanocrystals are about 90 nm wide and 100–150 nm tall, with 200 nm spacing. Nanotubes connect the silicon nanocrystals to form a network. Nanotubes selectively appear between tops of the Si nanocrystals. We show that the flow pattern of the carbon feedstock in the chemical vapor deposition growth process is disturbed by the geometric effect of the Si nanocrystals, providing a mechanism for growth between the tops of the Si nanocrystals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A theory based on localized-orbital approaches is developed to describe the valley splitting observed in silicon quantum wells. The theory is appropriate in the limit of low electron density and relevant for quantum computing architectures. The valley splitting is computed for realistic devices using the quantitative nanoelectronic modeling tool NEMO. A simple, analytically solvable tight-binding model reproduces the behavior of the splitting in the NEMO results and yields much physical insight. The splitting is in general nonzero even in the absence of electric field in contrast to previous works. The splitting in a square well oscillates as a function of S, the number of layers in the quantum well, with a period that is determined by the location of the valley minimum in the Brillouin zone. The envelope of the splitting decays as S[sup -3]. The feasibility of observing such oscillations experimentally in Si/SiGe heterostructures is discussed. © 2004 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantum computers are analog devices; thus they are highly susceptible to accumulative errors arising from classical control electronics. Fast operation—as necessitated by decoherence—makes gating errors very likely. In most current designs for scalable quantum computers, it is not possible to satisfy both the requirements of low decoherence errors and low gating errors. Here, we introduce a hardware-based technique for pseudo-digital gate operation. We perform self-consistent simulations of semiconductor quantum dots, finding that pseudo-digital techniques reduce operational error rates by more than two orders of magnitude, thus facilitating fast operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variation of electric force microscopy (EFM) is used to measure the electrical isolation of SiGe quantum dots (QDs). The SiGe QDs are grown on mesas of ultrathin silicon on insulator. Near the mesa edges, the thin silicon layer has been incorporated into the QDs, resulting in electrically isolated QDs. Away from the edges, the silicon layer is not incorporated and has a two-dimensional resistivity of less than 800 TΩ per sq, resulting in relatively short RC times for charge flow on the mesa. The EFM technique we use here is a powerful probe of samples and devices with floating-gate geometries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resolution and wear properties of carbon nanotube and etched-silicon atomic force microscopy probes are compared in intermittent-contact mode. Carbon nanotube probes have at least 20 times the life of etched-silicon probes and provide better resolution at all stages. Sample wear is minimized with carbon nanotube probes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We demonstrate the use of a scanned probe microscope (SPM) at 4 Kelvin to study electron transport through a ballistic point contact in the two-dimensional electron gas inside a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The electron gas density profile is locally perturbed by the charged SPM tip providing information about the electron flow through the point contact. As the tip is scanned, one obtains a spatial image of the ballistic electron flux as well as the topographic profile of the structure. Calculations indicate the spatial resolution is comparable to the electron gas depth. © 1996 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report transport measurements on a Si/SiGe quantum dot subject to microwave excitation via an on-chip antenna. The response shows signatures of photon-assisted tunneling and only a small effect on charge stability. We also explore the use of a d.c. current applied to the antenna for generating tunable, local magnetic field gradients and put bounds on the achievable field gradients, limited by heating of the reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The total instantaneous energy transport can be found for polychromatic waves when using the deep water approximation. Expanding this theory to waves in waters of finite depth, we derive an expression for the total instantaneous energy transport for polychromatic fluid gravity waves based on potential theory with linearized free surface boundary conditions. We present the results for time series of wave elevation measured at the Uppsala University wave energy research test site. We show that a significant proportion of the total instantaneous energy transport is not accounted for when using the deep water theory. This is important since many wave energy conversion devices under development will operate in waters that do not fulfil the deep water criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have fabricated scanning probe microscope cantilevers with dimensions 65×11.4×0.25 μm[sup 3] and 3×2×0.129 μm[sup 3] from GaAs/Al[sub 0.3]Ga[sub 0.7]As heterostructures containing two-dimensional electron gases. Deflection is measured by an integrated field-effect transistor (FET) that senses strain via the piezoelectric effect and provides a low noise, low power displacement readout. We present images of a 200 nm mica grating taken with the large cantilever having a deflection (force) noise 10 Å/&sqrt;Hz (19 pN/&sqrt;Hz) at T=2.2 K. The small cantilever has a resonant frequency of 11 MHz, a FET gate charge noise of 0.001 e/&sqrt;Hz, and is projected to have a deflection (force) noise of 0.002 Å/&sqrt;Hz (1 pN/&sqrt;Hz) at T=4.2 K. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]