No Arabic abstract
Quantum dots realized in InAs are versatile systems to study the effect of spin-orbit interaction on the spin coherence, as well as the possibility to manipulate single spins using an electric field. We present transport measurements on quantum dots realized in InAs nanowires. Lithographically defined top-gates are used to locally deplete the nanowire and to form tunneling barriers. By using three gates, we can form either single quantum dots, or two quantum dots in series along the nanowire. Measurements of the stability diagrams for both cases show that this method is suitable for producing high quality quantum dots in InAs.
Most proof-of-principle experiments for spin qubits have been performed using GaAs-based quantum dots because of the excellent control they offer over tunneling barriers and the orbital and spin degrees of freedom. Here, we present the first realization of high-quality single and double quantum dots hosted in an InAs two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), demonstrating accurate control down to the few-electron regime, where we observe a clear Kondo effect and singlet-triplet spin blockade. We measure an electronic $g$-factor of $16$ and a typical magnitude of the random hyperfine fields on the dots of $sim 0.6, mathrm{mT}$. We estimate the spin-orbit length in the system to be $sim 5-10, mu mathrm{m}$, which is almost two orders of magnitude longer than typically measured in InAs nanostructures, achieved by a very symmetric design of the quantum well. These favorable properties put the InAs 2DEG on the map as a compelling host for studying fundamental aspects of spin qubits. Furthermore, having weak spin-orbit coupling in a material with a large Rashba coefficient potentially opens up avenues for engineering structures with spin-orbit coupling that can be controlled locally in space and/or time.
We report electrical characterization of quantum dots formed by introducing pairs of thin wurtzite (WZ) segments in zinc blende (ZB) InAs nanowires. Regular Coulomb oscillations are observed over a wide gate voltage span, indicating that WZ segments create significant barriers for electron transport. We find a direct correlation of transport properties with quantum dot length and corresponding growth time of the enclosed ZB segment. The correlation is made possible by using a method to extract lengths of nanowire crystal phase segments directly from scanning electron microscopy images, and with support from transmission electron microscope images of typical nanowires. From experiments on controlled filling of nearly empty dots with electrons, up to the point where Coulomb oscillations can no longer be resolved, we estimate a lower bound for the ZB-WZ conduction-band offset of 95 meV.
We present low temperature transport measurements on double quantum dots in InAs nanowires grown by metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. Two dots in series are created by lithographically defined top-gates with a procedure involving no extra insulating layer. We demonstrate the full tunability from strong to weak coupling between the dots. The quantum mechanical nature of the coupling leads to the formation of a molecular state extending over both dots. The excitation spectra of the individual dots are observable by their signatures in the nonlinear transport.
We report a significant and persistent enhancement of the conductivity in free-standing non intentionnaly doped InAs nanowires upon irradiation in ultra high vacuum. Combining four-point probe transport measurements performed on nanowires with different surface chemistries, field-effect based measurements and numerical simulations of the electron density, the change of the conductivity is found to be caused by the increase of the surface free carrier concentration. Although an electron beam of a few keV, typically used for the inspection and the processing of materials, propagates through the entire nanowire cross-section, we demonstrate that the nanowire electrical properties are predominantly affected by radiation-induced defects occuring at the nanowire surface and not in the bulk.
We use tunneling spectroscopy to study the evolution of few-electron spin states in parallel InAs nanowire double quantum dots (QDs) as a function of level detuning and applied magnetic field. Compared to the much more studied serial configuration, parallel coupling of the QDs to source and drain greatly expands the probing range of excited state transport. Owing to a strong confinement, we can here isolate transport involving only the very first interacting single QD orbital pair. For the (2,0)-(1,1) charge transition, with relevance for spin-based qubits, we investigate the excited (1,1) triplet, and hybridization of the (2,0) and (1,1) singlets. An applied magnetic field splits the (1,1) triplet, and due to spin-orbit induced mixing with the (2,0) singlet, we clearly resolve transport through all triplet states near the avoided singlet-triplet crossings. Transport calculations, based on a simple model with one orbital on each QD, fully replicate the experimental data. Finally, we observe an expected mirrored symmetry between the 1-2 and 2-3 electron transitions resulting from the two-fold spin degeneracy of the orbitals.