Stark tuning of the charge states of a two-donor molecule in silicon

A singly ionized two-donor molecule in silicon is an interesting test-bed system for implementing a quantum bit using charge degrees of freedom at the atomic limit of device fabrication. The operating principles of such a device are based on wavefunction symmetries defined by charge localizations and energy gaps in the spectrum. The Stark-shifted electronic structure of a two-donor phosphorus molecule is investigated using a multi-million-atom tight-binding framework. The effects of surface (S) and barrier (B) gates are analyzed for various voltage regimes. It is found that gate control is smooth for any donor separation, although at certain donor orientations the S and B gates may alter in functionality. Effects such as interface ionization, saturation of the lowest energy gap, and sensitivity to donor and gate placements are also investigated. Excited molecular states of P(2) + are found to impose limits on the allowed donor separations and operating gate voltages for coherent operation. This work therefore outlines and analyzes the various issues that are of importance in the design and control of such donor molecular systems.