Connection component for branching off a single electron motion

Abstract

An electronic component (10) is formed by a semiconductor component or a semiconductor-like structure having gate electrode assemblies (16, 18, 20) for moving a quantum dot (52). The electronic component (10) comprises a substrate (12) having a two-dimensional electron gas or electron hole gas. Electrical contacts connect the gate electrode assemblies (16, 18, 20) to voltage sources. A first gate electrode assembly (16) having gate electrodes (22, 24), which is arranged on a surface (14) of the electronic component in order to produce a potential well (50) in the substrate (12). The gate electrode assembly (16) has parallel electrode fingers (32, 34), wherein the electrode fingers (32, 34) are interconnected in a periodically alternating manner, which causes an almost continuous movement of the potential well (50) through the substrate (12), whereby a quantum dot (52) is transported in one direction together with this potential well (50).

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. An electronic component (10), which is formed by a semiconductor component or a semiconductor-like structure having gate electrode assemblies (16, 18, 20) for moving a quantum dot (52), comprising: a substrate (12) with a two-dimensional electron gas or electron hole gas; electrical contacts for connecting the gate electrode assemblies (16, 18, 20) to voltage sources; a first gate electrode assembly (16) having first gate electrodes (22, 24), the first gate electrode assembly (16) being arranged on a surface (14) of the electronic component, for producing a potential well (50) in the substrate (12), the first gate electrode assembly (16) having parallel first electrode fingers (32, 34), wherein the first electrode fingers (32, 34) are interconnected in a periodically alternating manner, which causes an almost continuous movement of the potential well (50) through the substrate (12), whereby the quantum dot (52) is transported in one direction together with this potential well (50); a second gate electrode assembly (18) having second gate electrodes (26, 28), the second gate electrode assembly (18) being provided with a different direction at a branch (40) to the first gate electrode assembly (16); the second gate electrode assembly (18) having parallel second electrode fingers (36, 38), wherein the second electrode fingers (36, 38) are interconnected in a periodically alternating manner, which causes an almost continuous further movement of the potential well (50) through the substrate (12), whereby the quantum dot (52) in the potential well (50) can be moved in a different direction of travel.

15. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein a third gate electrode assembly (20) is provided for generating a switchable potential barrier arrangement (42, 44, 48) in a region of the branch (40), which is switched for transferring the quantum dot (52).

16. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, further comprising means for synchronizing the gate electrode assemblies (16, 18, 20) for transferring the quantum dot at the branch.

17. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein the first gate electrode assembly (16) and the second gate electrode assembly (18) each comprise two parallel gate electrodes (22, 24, 26, 28), which form a channel-like structure.

18. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein the substrate (12) of the electronic component (10) comprises gallium arsenide (GaAs) and/or silicon germanium (SiGe).

19. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein the first gate electrodes (22, 24) and the second gate electrodes (26, 28) are respectively interconnected and configured such that a periodic and/or phase-shifted voltage can be applied to them.

20. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein every third electrode finger (32, 34, 36, 38) is connected to a gate electrode (22, 24, 26, 28).

21. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, further comprising means for connecting two qubits of a quantum computer.

22. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein the second gate electrode assembly (18) is provided with gate electrodes which generates a second movable potential well (50) in the substrate (12).

23. The electronic component (10) according to claim 14, wherein a magnetic field generator is provided for a switchable magnetic field and/or a gradient magnetic field.

24. A method for the electronic component (10) according to claim 14, comprising: applying a phase-shifted voltage to the first gate electrodes (22, 24) and the second gate electrodes (26, 28), which causes the almost continuous movement of the potential well (50) through the substrate (12), thereby transporting the quantum dot (52) with the potential well (50).

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein every fourth gate electrode (22, 24, 26, 28) is connected to one other and to which a periodic voltage is applied.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein a potential barrier is switched to divert the quantum dot at the branch.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a schematic top view of a first exemplary embodiment of an electronic component according to the invention, which has a branch.

[0038] FIG. 2 shows a section of the branch according to FIG. 1 and the path of movement of a quantum dot in the branch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an electronic component 10 according to the invention, which is formed from a semiconductor heterostructure. The structures of the component are preferably nanoscale structures. Undoped silicon germanium (SiGe) is used as the substrate 12 for the electronic component 10. The electronic component 10 is designed in such a manner that it comprises a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). Gate electrode assemblies 16, 18, 20 are provided on a surface 14 of the substrate 12.

[0040] The gate electrode assemblies 16, 18 each have two gate electrodes 22, 24, 26, 28. The individual gate electrodes 22, 24, 26, 28 are electrically isolated from one another in a suitable manner with insulating layers 30. The gate electrode assemblies 16, 18, 20 are structured in layers, wherein the insulating layer 24 is provided between each gate electrode 22, 24, 26, 28. The gate electrodes 22, 24, 26, 28 further comprise electrode fingers 32, 34, 36, 38, whereby each of the gate electrodes 22, 24, 26, 28 is arranged parallel to another on the surface 14 of the substrate 12.

[0041] The gate electrode assemblies 16, 18, 20 are supplied with a suitable voltage via electrical connections. By suitably applying sinusoidal voltages to the gate electrodes 22, 24, 26, 28 of the gate electrode assemblies 16, 18, 20, a potential well is formed in the substrate 12. A quantum dot trapped in this potential well can thus be transported through the substrate. The potential well is transported longitudinally through the substrate through suitable control of the electrode fingers 32, 34, 36, 38 with sinusoidal voltages. The quantum dot confined in such a potential well can be transported with this potential well over a greater distance in the two-dimensional electron gas of the substrate 12 made of SiGe without experiencing a quantum mechanical change of state.

[0042] The gate electrode assembly 18 branches off from the gate electrode assembly 16 in an intersection area 40. The gate electrode assembly 20 is arranged in the intersection area 40. In the present exemplary embodiment, the gate electrode assembly 20 contains two barrier gate electrodes 42, 44. These barrier gate electrodes 42, 44 can be connected when the moving potential well with the quantum dot is located in the intersection area 40. By connecting the barrier gate electrodes 42, 44, the potential well with the quantum dot is held in the intersection area 40. A pump gate electrode 46 of the gate electrode assembly 20 causes the potential well with the quantum dot to change direction and move toward the gate electrode assembly 18.

[0043] If no change in direction is to be performed by the potential well with the quantum dot, then a barrier gate electrode 48 of the gate electrode assembly 20 is switched on. The other two barrier gate electrodes 42, 44 are correspondingly switched off. The barrier gate electrode 48 blocks access to the gate electrode assembly 18. The quantum dot in the moving potential well is therefore not induced to change direction.

[0044] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a section through such an electronic component 10. The section of the component 10 shows a sequence of positions A to C of a movable potential well 50 with a quantum dot 52. In the illustration of the electronic component 10, only sectional diagrams of the electrode fingers 36, 38, the barrier gate electrodes 48, and the pump gate electrodes 46 are visible. Sequences from A to C of the positions of the potential well 50 in the substrate 12 are shown below this. The electrode fingers 36, 38 of the gate electrode assemblies 18 form the movable potential wells 50 through the substrate 12. The movement of the potential wells 50 is effected by appropriately interconnecting the electrode fingers 26, 28. The electrode fingers 36, 38 of the gate electrode assembly 16 provided for this purpose are periodically and alternately interconnected, which effects an almost continuous movement of the potential well 50 through the substrate 12. In the present figure, it is illustrated how the potential well 50 with the quantum dot 52 branches off the intersection area 40. The movable potential well 50 is located in the direction of the branching gate electrode 18. The arrow 54 symbolizes the direction in which the potential well 50 moves with the quantum dot 52.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0045] 10 Electronic component [0046] 12 Substrate [0047] 14 Surface [0048] 16 Gate electrode assembly [0049] 18 Gate electrode assembly [0050] 20 Gate electrode assembly [0051] 22 Gate electrodes [0052] 24 Gate electrodes [0053] 26 Gate electrodes [0054] 28 Gate electrodes [0055] 30 Insulating layers [0056] 32 Electrode fingers [0057] 34 Electrode fingers [0058] 36 Electrode fingers [0059] 38 Electrode fingers [0060] 40 Intersection area [0061] 42 Barrier gate electrode [0062] 44 Barrier gate electrode [0063] 46 Pump gate electrode [0064] 48 Barrier gate electrode [0065] 50 Movable potential well [0066] 52 Quantum dot [0067] 54 Arrow