Atomic-scale Control of Tunneling in Donor-based Devices

Area of Science:

• Quantum computing
• Solid-state physics
• Materials science

Background:

• Atomically precise donor-based quantum devices offer potential for quantum computing and simulations.
• Challenges in fabrication have hindered atomic-scale control of tunneling rates and coupling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate systematic, atomic-scale control over tunneling rates in quantum devices.
• To establish a reproducible fabrication process for precision-patterned single electron transistors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a room-temperature grown locking layer and precise fabrication control.
• Employed scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) for atomic-scale patterning.
• Used Si(100)2×1 surface reconstruction as a ruler to characterize the tunnel gap.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-quality epitaxy and reduced unintentional dopant movement.
• Demonstrated exponential scaling of tunneling resistance with tunnel gap size (7-16 dimer rows).
• Showcased reproducible device patterning with atomic precision.

Conclusions:

• Established a donor-based fabrication process with atomic precision.
• Confirmed that atomic-scale changes in the tunnel gap predictably alter tunneling rates.
• Advanced the development of atomically precise quantum devices for future applications.