Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 9, 2026
14:58
Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
Published on: June 3, 2015
Quantum control of donor electrons at the Si-SiO2 interface
M J Calderón1, Belita Koiller, Xuedong Hu
1Condensed Matter Theory Center, Department of Physics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742-4111, USA.
Physical Review Letters
|April 12, 2006
Summary
Researchers explored quantum control of electrons in silicon quantum computers. They found shuttling electrons between bulk impurities and the Si-SiO2 interface is feasible within nanoseconds, enabling quantum control in nanostructures.
Area of Science:
- Quantum computing
- Solid-state physics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Silicon quantum computing architectures offer a promising platform for scalable quantum information processing.
- Controlling electron spin states is crucial for implementing quantum bits (qubits).
- Efficient electron shuttling is essential for qubit manipulation and readout.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate the feasibility of controlling donor-bound electrons in silicon.
- To analyze the process of shuttling electrons between bulk impurities and the Si-SiO2 interface using electric fields.
- To determine the time scales for electron shuttling in nanostructure architectures.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of electron dynamics in silicon nanostructures.
- Calculation of electron shuttling times based on donor distance from the Si-SiO2 interface.
- Simulation of electron transport under external electric field tuning.
Main Results:
- Electron shuttling between bulk donors and the Si-SiO2 interface is theoretically feasible.
- Shuttling times were calculated to range from subpicoseconds to nanoseconds.
- The calculated times depend on the donor's distance (10-50 nm) from the interface.
Conclusions:
- Quantum control of electrons in silicon nanostructure architectures is achievable in principle.
- The proposed electron shuttling mechanism provides a viable pathway for quantum operations.
- This research supports the development of silicon-based quantum computing.
