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Silicon Metal-oxide-semiconductor Quantum Dots for Single-electron Pumping
Published on: June 3, 2015
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AC signal characterization for optimization of a CMOS single-electron pump
Roy Murray1, Justin K Perron, M D Stewart
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, United States of America.
Nanotechnology
|December 1, 2017
Summary
Optimizing AC signals for semiconductor charge pumps improves single-electron pumping accuracy. Characterizing signal path differences and attenuation enhances the performance of CMOS single-electron pumps, leading to more robust electrical current standards.
Area of Science:
- Solid State Physics
- Quantum Computing
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Single-electron pumping is crucial for establishing precise electrical current standards.
- Semiconductor charge pumps, including ratchet and turnstile designs, are key devices in this field.
- Accurate control of AC signals is essential for minimizing error rates in electron pumping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize and optimize the AC signals used in a CMOS single-electron pump.
- To investigate the impact of signal path length and attenuation on pump performance.
- To improve the robustness and accuracy of single-electron charge pumping.
Main Methods:
- Operated a CMOS single-electron pump using a 2-gate ratchet measurement.
- Analyzed frequency-dependent data to identify signal path length and attenuation differences.
- Adjusted AC signal phase and amplitude to compensate for identified discrepancies.
Main Results:
- Identified and quantified differences in signal path length and attenuation between two AC lines.
- Successfully corrected for these signal discrepancies by applying offsets at the signal generator.
- Observed significantly flatter and more robust charge pumping plateaus in turnstile mode after optimization.
Conclusions:
- Accurate characterization and optimization of AC signals are vital for high-performance semiconductor charge pumps.
- The developed method effectively tunes devices for optimal charge pumping.
- This technique offers a valuable tool for the quantum dot community to assess signal properties at the device level.
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