Semiconductor quantum dots provide a two-dimensional analogy for real atoms and show promise for the implementation of scalable quantum computers. Here, we investigate the charge configurations in a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor double quantum do
t tunnel coupled to a single reservoir of electrons. By operating the system in the few-electron regime, the stability diagram shows hysteretic tunnelling events that depend on the history of the dots charge occupancy. We present a model which accounts for the observed hysteretic behaviour by extending the established description for transport in double dots coupled to two reservoirs. We demonstrate that this type of device operates like a single-electron memory latch.
We discuss the effects of gigahertz photon irradiation on a degenerately phosphorous-doped silicon quantum dot, in particular, the creation of voltage offsets on gate leads and the tunneling of one or two electrons via Coulomb blockade lifting at 4.2
K. A semi-analytical model is derived that explains the main features observed experimentally. Ultimately both effects may provide an efficient way to optically control and operate electrically isolated structures by microwave pulses. In quantum computing architectures, these results may lead to the use of microwave multiplexing to manipulate quantum states in a multi-qubit configuration.
Although silicon is a promising material for quantum computation, the degeneracy of the conduction band minima (valleys) must be lifted with a splitting sufficient to ensure formation of well-defined and long-lived spin qubits. Here we demonstrate th
at valley separation can be accurately tuned via electrostatic gate control in a metal-oxide-semiconductor quantum dot, providing splittings spanning 0.3 - 0.8 meV. The splitting varies linearly with applied electric field, with a ratio in agreement with atomistic tight-binding predictions. We demonstrate single-shot spin readout and measure the spin relaxation for different valley configurations and dot occupancies, finding one-electron lifetimes exceeding 2 seconds. Spin relaxation occurs via phonon emission due to spin-orbit coupling between the valley states, a process not previously anticipated for silicon quantum dots. An analytical theory describes the magnetic field dependence of the relaxation rate, including the presence of a dramatic rate enhancement (or hot-spot) when Zeeman and valley splittings coincide.
Gamma-Ray Bursts can provide information about star formation at high redshifts. Even in the absence of a optical/near-infrared/radio afterglow, the high detection rate of X-ray afterglows by swift/XRT and its localization precision of 2-3 arcsec fac
ilitates the identification and study of GRB host galaxies. We focus on the search for the host galaxies of a sample of 17 bursts with XRT error circles but no detected long-wavelength afterglow. Three of these events can also be classified as truly dark bursts: the observed upper limit on the optical flux of the afterglow was less than expected based on the X-ray flux. Our study is based on deep R and K-band observations performed with ESO/VLT instruments, supported by GROND and NEWFIRM. To be conservative, we searched for host galaxies in an area with a radius twice the 90% swift/XRT error circle. For 15 of the 17 bursts we find at least one galaxy inside the doubled XRT error circle. In seven cases we discover extremely red objects in the error circles. The most remarkable case is the host of GRB 080207 which as a colour of R-K~4.7 mag (AB), one of the reddest galaxies ever associated with a GRB. As a by-product of our study we identify the optical afterglow of GRB 070517A. Optically dim afterglows result from cosmological Lyman drop out and dust extinction, but the former process is only equired for a minority of cases (<1/3). Extinction by dust in the host galaxies might explain all other events. Thereby, a seemingly non-negligible fraction of these hosts are globally dust-enshrouded, extremely red galaxies. This suggests that bursts with optically dim afterglows trace a subpopulation of massive starburst galaxies, which are markedly different from the main body of the GRB host galaxy population, namely the blue, subluminous, compact galaxies.
In order to look for a well-behaved counterpart to Dolbeault cohomology in D-complex geometry, we study the de Rham cohomology of an almost D-complex manifold and its subgroups made up of the classes admitting invariant, respectively anti-invariant,
representatives with respect to the almost D-complex structure, miming the theory introduced by T.-J. Li and W. Zhang in [T.-J. Li, W. Zhang, Comparing tamed and compatible symplectic cones and cohomological properties of almost complex manifolds, Comm. Anal. Geom. 17 (2009), no. 4, 651-684] for almost complex manifolds. In particular, we prove that, on a 4-dimensional D-complex nilmanifold, such subgroups provide a decomposition at the level of the real second de Rham cohomology group. Moreover, we study deformations of D-complex structures, showing in particular that admitting D-Kaehler structures is not a stable property under small deformations.
We have observed a negative differential conductance with singular gate and source-drain bias dependences in a phosphorus-doped silicon quantum dot. Its origin is discussed within the framework of weak localization. By measuring the current-voltage c
haracteristics at different temperatures as well as simulating the tunneling rates dependences on energy, we demonstrate that the presence of shallow energy defects together with an enhancement of localization satisfactory explain our observations. Effects observed in magnetic fields are also discussed.
Reliable detection of single electron tunneling in quantum dots (QD) is paramount to use this category of device for quantum information processing. Here, we report charge sensing in a degenerately phosphorus-doped silicon QD by means of a capacitive
ly coupled single-electron tunneling device made of the same material. Besides accurate counting of tunneling events in the QD, we demonstrate that this architecture can be operated to reveal asymmetries in the transport characteristic of the QD. Indeed, the observation of gate voltage shifts in the detectors response as the QD bias is changed is an indication of variable tunneling rates.
As semiconductor device dimensions are reduced to the nanometer scale, effects of high defect density surfaces on the transport properties become important to the extent that the metallic character that prevails in large and highly doped structures i
s lost and the use of quantum dots for charge sensing becomes complex. Here we have investigated the mechanism behind the detection of electron motion inside an electrically isolated double quantum dot that is capacitively coupled to a single electron transistor, both fabricated from highly phosphorous doped silicon wafers. Despite, the absence of a direct charge transfer between the detector and the double dot structure, an efficient detection is obtained. In particular, unusually large Coulomb peak shifts in gate voltage are observed. Results are explained in terms of charge rearrangement and the presence of inelastic cotunneling via states at the periphery of the single electron transistor dot.
Aims: The AGILE gamma-ray burst GRB 080514B is the first burst with detected emission above 30 MeV and an optical afterglow. However, no spectroscopic redshift for this burst is known. Methods: We compiled ground-based photometric optical/NIR and m
illimeter data from several observatories, including the multi-channel imager GROND, as well as ultraviolet swift UVOT and X-ray XRT observations. The spectral energy distribution of the optical/NIR afterglow shows a sharp drop in the swift UVOT UV filters that can be utilized for the estimation of a redshift. Results: Fitting the SED from the swift UVOT $uvw2$ band to the $H$ band, we estimate a photometric redshift of $z=1.8^{+0.4}_{-0.3}$, consistent with the pseudo redshift reported by Pelangeon & Atteia (2008) based on the gamma-ray data. Conclusions: The afterglow properties of GRB 080514B do not differ from those exhibited by the global sample of long bursts, supporting the view that afterglow properties are basically independent of prompt emission properties.
We investigate (twisted) rings of differential operators on the resolution of singularities of a particular irreducible component of the (Zarisky) closure of the minimal orbit $bar O_{mathrm{min}}$ of $mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$, intersected with the Borel s
ubalgebra $mathfrak n_+$ of $mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$, using toric geometry and show that they are homomorphic images of a subalgebra of the Universal Enveloping Algebra (UEA) of $mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$, which contains the maximal parabolic subalgebra $mathfrak p$ determining the minimal nilpotent orbit. Further, using Fourier transforms on Weyl algebras, we show that (twisted) rings of well-suited weighted projective spaces are obtained from the same subalgebra. Finally, investigating this subalgebra from the representation-theoretical point of view, we find new primitive ideals and rediscover old ones for the UEA of $mathfrak{sp}_{2n}$ coming from the aforementioned resolution of singularities.
