Electron population control of a highly isolated quantum dot using surface-acoustic waves

✍ Scribed by M. Kataoka; R.J. Schneble; A.L. Thorn; C.H.W. Barnes; C.J.B. Ford; D. Anderson; G.A.C. Jones; I. Farrer; D.A. Ritchie; M. Pepper

• Book ID: 104085157
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 541 KB
• Volume: 40
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1386-9477
• DOI: 10.1016/j.physe.2007.09.178

✦ Synopsis

We demonstrate a method to control the electron population of a highly isolated quantum dot using a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) pulse. A gate-defined quantum dot in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure is tuned into a nonequilibrium charge state with a strong barrier potential, where an empty (or occupied) dot level is placed below (or above) the Fermi energy of the reservoirs. When a SAW pulse is launched through the dot from an interdigitated transducer, the perturbation of the barrier potential and the dot potential accelerates charge equilibration process. The resulting single-electron population (or depopulation) event is monitored by a nearby quantum point contact.