We demonstrated in 1996 that surface acoustic waves travelling along a semiconductor such as GaAs can be used to transport small numbers of electrons from one part of a device to another. In 2000 we proposed that such a system could form the basis of a quantum information processor. Recently we have developed aspects of this system in the following experiments:
- Quantum-dot thermometry of electron heating by surface acoustic waves
- Experimental investigation of the surface acoustic wave electron capture mechanism
- Examination of surface acoustic wave reflections by observing acousto-electric current generation under pulse-modulation.
- Collapse of non-equilibrium charge states in an isolated quantum dot using surface acoustic waves
- Single-electron population and depopulation of an isolated quantum dot using a surface-acoustic-wave pulse
- Energy dependent tunnelling from few-electron dynamic quantum dots
- Coherent time evolution of a single-electron wave function
In addition we have developed this technology for application to single-photon sources for quantum key distribution in collaboration with Toshiba Research Europe Ltd..
- Surface acoustic wave driven luminescence from a lateral p-n junction
- Temporal characteristics of surface-acoustic-wave-driven luminescence from a lateral p-n junction