In a semiconductor spin qubit with sizable spin-orbit coupling, coherent spin rotations can be driven by a resonant gate-voltage modulation. Recently, we have exploited this opportunity in the experimental demonstration of a hole spin qubit in a silicon device. Here we investigate the underlying physical mechanisms by measuring the full angular dependence of the Rabi frequency, as well as the gate-voltage dependence and anisotropy of the hole g factor. We show that a g-matrix formalism can simultaneously capture and discriminate the contributions of two mechanisms so far independently discussed in the literature: one associated with the modulation of the g factor, and measurable by Zeeman energy spectroscopy, the other not. Our approach has a general validity and can be applied to the analysis of other types of spin-orbit qubits.

The ability to manipulate electron spins with voltage-dependent electric fields is key to the operation of quantum spintronics devices, such as spin-based semiconductor qubits. A natural approach to electrical spin control exploits the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) inherently present in all materials. So far, this approach could not be applied to electrons in silicon, due to their extremely weak SOC. Here we report an experimental realization of electrically driven electron-spin resonance in a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nanowire quantum dot device. The underlying driving mechanism results from an interplay between SOC and the multi-valley structure of the silicon conduction band, which is enhanced in the investigated nanowire geometry. We present a simple model capturing the essential physics and use tight-binding simulations for a more quantitative analysis. We discuss the relevance of our findings to the development of compact and scalable electron-spin qubits in silicon.

We discuss the modeling of the electrical manipulation of spin qubits in the linear-response regime where the Rabi frequency is proportional to the magnetic field and to the radio-frequency electric field excitation. We show that the Rabi frequency can be obtained from a generalized g-tensor magnetic resonance formula featuring a g-matrix and its derivative g with respect to the electric field (or gate voltage) as inputs. These matrices can be easily calculated from the wave functions of the qubit at zero magnetic field. The g-matrix formalism therefore provides the complete dependence of the Larmor and Rabi frequencies on the orientation of the magnetic field at very low computational cost. It also provides a compact model for the control of the qubit, and a simple framework for the analysis of the effects of symmetries on the anisotropy of the Larmor and Rabi frequencies.The g-matrix formalism applies to a wide variety of electron and hole qubits, and we focus on a hole qubit in a silicon-on-insulator nanowire as an illustration. We show that the Rabi frequency of this qubit shows a complex dependence on the orientation of the magnetic field, and on the gate voltages that control the symmetry of the hole wave functions. We point out that the qubit may be advantageously switched between two bias points, one where it can be manipulated efficiently, and one where it is largely decoupled from the gate field but presumably longer lived. We also discuss the role of residual strains in such devices in relation to recent experiments. arXiv:1807.09185v2 [quant-ph]

We report on hole compact double quantum dots fabricated using conventional CMOS technology. We provide evidence of Pauli spin blockade in the few hole regime which is relevant to spin qubit implementations. A current dip is observed around zero magnetic field, in agreement with the expected behavior for the case of strong spin-orbit. We deduce an intradot spin relaxation rate ≈120 kHz for the first holes, an important step towards a robust hole spin-orbit qubit.

We show that the mixing between spin and valley degrees of freedom in a silicon quantum bit (qubit) can be controlled by a static electric field acting on the valley splitting ∆. Thanks to spinorbit coupling, the qubit can be continuously switched between a spin mode (where the quantum information is encoded into the spin) and a valley mode (where the the quantum information is encoded into the valley). In the spin mode, the qubit is more robust with respect to inelastic relaxation and decoherence, but is hardly addressable electrically. It can however be brought into the valley mode then back to the spin mode for electrical manipulation. This opens new perspectives for the development of robust and scalable, electrically addressable spin qubits on silicon. We illustrate this with tight-binding simulations on a so-called "corner dot" in a silicon-on-insulator device where the confinement and valley splitting can be independently tailored by a front and a back gate.

Semiconducting–superconducting hybrids are vital components for the realization of high‐performance nanoscale devices. In particular, semiconducting–superconducting nanowires attract widespread interest owing to the possible presence of non‐abelian Majorana zero modes, which are quasiparticles that hold promise for topological quantum computing. However, systematic search for Majoranas signatures is challenging because it requires reproducible hybrid devices and reliable fabrication methods. This work introduces a fabrication concept based on shadow walls that enables the in situ, selective, and consecutive depositions of superconductors and normal metals to form normal‐superconducting junctions. Crucially, this method allows to realize devices in a single shot, eliminating fabrication steps after the synthesis of the fragile semiconductor/superconductor interface. At the atomic level, all investigated devices reveal a sharp and defect‐free semiconducting–superconducting interface and, correspondingly, a hard induced superconducting gap resilient up to 2 T is measured electrically. While the cleanliness of the technique enables systematic studies of topological superconductivity in nanowires, it also allows for the synthesis of advanced nano‐devices based on a wide range of material combinations and geometries while maintaining an exceptionally high interface quality.

We perform an excited state spectroscopy analysis of a silicon corner dot in a nanowire field-effect transistor to assess the electric field tunability of the valley splitting. First, we demonstrate a back-gate-controlled transition between a single quantum dot and a double quantum dot in parallel that allows tuning the device in to corner dot formation. We find a linear dependence of the valley splitting on back-gate voltage, from 880 µeV to 610 µeV with a slope of −45 ± 3 µeV/V (or equivalently a slope of −48 ± 3 µeV/(MV/m) with respect to the effective field). The experimental results are backed up by tight-binding simulations that include the effect of surface roughness, remote charges in the gate stack and discrete dopants in the channel. Our results demonstrate a way to electrically tune the valley splitting in silicon-on-insulator-based quantum dots, a requirement to achieve all-electrical manipulation of silicon spin qubits. arXiv:1805.07981v2 [cond-mat.mes-hall]

We present recent progress towards the implementation of a scalable quantum processor based on fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FDSOI) technology. In particular, we discuss an approach where the elementary bits of quantum information -so-called qubits -are encoded in the spin degree of freedom of gate-confined holes in p-type devices. We show how a hole-spin can be efficiently manipulated by means of a microwave excitation applied to the corresponding confining gate. The hole spin state can be read out and reinitialized through a Pauli blockade mechanism. The studied devices are derived from silicon nanowire field-effect transistors. We discuss their prospects for scalability and, more broadly, the potential advantages of FDSOI technology.