Coherent interconnection of quantum bits remains an ongoing challenge in quantum information technology. Envisioned hardware to achieve this goal is based on semiconductor nanowire (NW) circuits, comprising individual NW devices that are linked through ballistic interconnects. However, maintaining the sensitive ballistic conduction and confinement conditions across NW intersections is a nontrivial problem. Here, we go beyond the characterization of a single NW device and demonstrate ballistic one-dimensional (1D) quantum transport in InAs NW cross-junctions, monolithically integrated on Si. Characteristic 1D conductance plateaus are resolved in field-effect measurements across up to four NW-junctions in series. The 1D ballistic transport and sub-band splitting is preserved for both crossing-directions. We show that the 1D modes of a single injection terminal can be distributed into multiple NW branches. We believe that NW cross-junctions are well-suited as cross-directional communication links for the reliable transfer of quantum information as required for quantum computational systems.
We report on the selective-area chemical beam epitaxial growth of InAs in-plane, one-dimensional (1-D) channels using patterned SiO 2 -coated InP(001), InP(111)B, and InP(110) substrates to establish a scalable platform for topological superconductor networks. Top-view scanning electron micrographs show excellent surface selectivity and dependence of major facet planes on the substrate orientations and ridge directions, and the ratios of the surface energies of the major facet planes were estimated. Detailed structural properties and defects in the InAs nanowires (NWs) were characterized by transmission electron microscopic analysis of cross-sections perpendicular to the NW ridge direction and along the NW ridge direction. Electrical transport properties of the InAs NWs were investigated using Hall bars, a field effect mobility device, a quantum dot, and an Aharonov-Bohm loop device, which reflect the strong spin-orbit interaction and phase-coherent transport characteristic in the selectively grown InAs systems.This study demonstrates that selective-area chemical beam epitaxy is a scalable approach to realize semiconductor 1-D channel networks with the excellent surface selectivity and this material system is suitable for quantum transport studies.
We present the monolithic integration and electrical characterization of InAs nanowires (NWs) with the well-defined geometries and positions on Si as a platform for quantum transport studies. Hereby, one-dimensional (1D) ballistic transport with step-like 1D conductance quantization in units of 2e2/h is demonstrated for NWs with the widths between 28 nm and 58 nm and a height of 40 nm. The electric field control of up to four individual modes is achieved. Furthermore, the sub-band structure of the nanowires is investigated using bias spectroscopy. The splitting between the first and the second sub-band increases as the width of the NWs is reduced, whereas the degeneracy of the second sub-band can be tuned by the symmetry of the NW cross section, in accordance with a “particle in a box” model. The length-dependent studies reveal ballistic transport for up to 300 nm and quasi-ballistic transport with a mean free path of 470 nm for longer InAs NW channels at 30 K. We anticipate that the ballistic 1D transport in monolithically integrated InAs NWs presented here will form the basis for sophisticated quantum wire devices for the future integrated circuits with additional functionalities.
Strong spin-orbit semiconductor nanowires coupled to a superconductor are predicted to host Majorana zero modes. Exchange (braiding) operations of Majorana modes form the logical gates of a topological quantum computer and require a network of nanowires. Here, we utilize an in-plane selective area growth technique for InSb-Al semiconductor-superconductor nanowire networks. Transport channels, free from extended defects, in InSb nanowire networks are realized on insulating, but heavily mismatched InP (111)B substrates by full relaxation of the lattice mismatch at the nanowire/substrate interface and nucleation of a complete network from a single nucleation site by optimizing the surface diffusion length of the adatoms. Essential quantum transport phenomena for topological quantum computing are demonstrated in these structures including phase-coherence lengths exceeding several micrometers with Aharonov-Bohm oscillations up to five harmonics and a hard superconducting gap accompanied by 2e-periodic Coulomb oscillations with an Al-based Cooper pair island integrated in the nanowire network.
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