Physics and Technology of Semiconductor Quantum Nanostructures
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Cambridge
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
We are accustomed to the use of electricity in every day life, this is based on the flow of electrons through materials which have a high conductivity such as metals. At low temperatures the laws of quantum mechanics prevail and now an electron does not behave as a particle but rather as a wave, which reflects the probability of finding an electron in a particular place. An entirely new range of phenomena flow from this change in the physics and this is most pronounced in very small devices, called nanostructures. The purpose of this grant is to enable the most advanced nanostructures to be fabricated and new physical phenomena to be sought in them. In addition to the new physics that will be found, new methods of transmitting and handling data will emerge, which will be of great benefit to both existing and future industries yet to be born.
Publications
Wright S
(2008)
Enhanced current quantization in high-frequency electron pumps in a perpendicular magnetic field
in Physical Review B
Wright S
(2009)
Parallel quantized charge pumping
in Physical Review B
Wright S
(2011)
Single- and few-electron dynamic quantum dots in a perpendicular magnetic field
in Journal of Applied Physics
Vianez PMT
(2022)
Observing separate spin and charge Fermi seas in a strongly correlated one-dimensional conductor.
in Science advances
Vianez P
(2021)
Semiconductor Nanodevices
Smith LW
(2011)
Compressibility measurements of quasi-one-dimensional quantum wires.
in Physical review letters
Smith L
(2009)
Row coupling in an interacting quasi-one-dimensional quantum wire investigated using transport measurements
in Physical Review B
Siegert C
(2008)
Effect of a perpendicular magnetic field on the zero-bias anomaly in two-dimensional electron systems
in Physical Review B
Siegert C
(2008)
Oscillatory Hall effect in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases
in Physical Review B
Siegert C
(2007)
The possibility of an intrinsic spin lattice in high-mobility semiconductor heterostructures
in Nature Physics
Sfigakis F
(2008)
Spin effects in one-dimensional systems
in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Sfigakis F
(2010)
Benefits of using undoped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures: A case study of the zero-bias bias anomaly in quantum wires
in Physica E: Low-dimensional Systems and Nanostructures
Sfigakis F
(2008)
Kondo Effect from a Tunable Bound State within a Quantum Wire
in Physical Review Letters
Schneble R
(2006)
Quantum-dot thermometry of electron heating by surface acoustic waves
in Applied Physics Letters
Schneble R
(2007)
Collapse of nonequilibrium charge states in an isolated quantum dot using surface acoustic waves
in Physical Review B
Sarkozy S
(2009)
Low temperature transport in undoped mesoscopic structures
in Applied Physics Letters
Sarkozy S
(2009)
Zero-bias anomaly in quantum wires
in Physical Review B
Rushforth A
(2006)
Fano effect and Kondo effect in quantum dots formed in strongly coupled quantum wells
in Physical Review B
Pfaendler S
(2008)
Stable conductance plateaus from ridge wires grown on a patterned substrate
in Applied Physics Letters
Narayan V
(2012)
Evidence of Novel Quasiparticles in a Strongly Interacting Two-Dimensional Electron System: Giant Thermopower and Metallic Behaviour
in Journal of Low Temperature Physics
McNeil RP
(2010)
Localized magnetic fields in arbitrary directions using patterned nanomagnets.
in Nano letters
Koushik R
(2011)
Evidence of gate-tunable topological excitations in two-dimensional electron systems
in Physical Review B
| Description | The work discovered a number of unexpected features of spin polarisation and difference in energy between the different spin directions. It was found possible to induce a coincidence in energy between the spin directions by means of a magnetic field which produced a number of spin instabilities. We developed an electron pump which delivered a quantised current near nanoamps which is within range of highly accurate measurements of electron charge by standards laboratories. |
| Exploitation Route | Many groups worldwide are using the patterned gate techniques which we developed. The electron pump has been taken up by standards laboratories including NPL with whom we have a good collaboration. |
| Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy |
| URL | http://www.electronicsweekly.com/news/research-news/device-rd/cambridge-team-closer-to-working-quantum-computer-2007-04/ |
| Description | Theory of Electron Transport in Semiconductor Nanostructures and Collaborative Experiments |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration and explanation of experiments as well as suggestions of new experiments. These collaborations started before this award but are ongoing and have contributed to the work in the award. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many ideas and experimental contributions. Allocation of a Dilution Refrigerator in Cape Town for the experimental programme. Dr Blumenthal who is now in CapeTown took a Ph.D in Cambridge and was supervised by Pepper, he is now a lecturer there and has allocated a dilution refrigerator to our collaboration on electron pumps. We have an excellent collaboration with the Taiwan group which has provided new insights into spin-orbit coupling. The Bar Ilan and CUNY collaborations are in the area of theory and have produced some important insights into the behaviour of electrons in nanostructures which is continuing. |
| Impact | 4 good publications |
| Description | Theory of Electron Transport in Semiconductor Nanostructures and Collaborative Experiments |
| Organisation | University of Liverpool |
| Department | Department of Physics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration and explanation of experiments as well as suggestions of new experiments. These collaborations started before this award but are ongoing and have contributed to the work in the award. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many ideas and experimental contributions. Allocation of a Dilution Refrigerator in Cape Town for the experimental programme. Dr Blumenthal who is now in CapeTown took a Ph.D in Cambridge and was supervised by Pepper, he is now a lecturer there and has allocated a dilution refrigerator to our collaboration on electron pumps. We have an excellent collaboration with the Taiwan group which has provided new insights into spin-orbit coupling. The Bar Ilan and CUNY collaborations are in the area of theory and have produced some important insights into the behaviour of electrons in nanostructures which is continuing. |
| Impact | 4 good publications |
| Description | Theory of Electron Transport in Semiconductor Nanostructures and Collaborative Experiments |
| Organisation | University of the Balearic Islands |
| Department | Physics |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration and explanation of experiments as well as suggestions of new experiments. These collaborations started before this award but are ongoing and have contributed to the work in the award. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many ideas and experimental contributions. Allocation of a Dilution Refrigerator in Cape Town for the experimental programme. Dr Blumenthal who is now in CapeTown took a Ph.D in Cambridge and was supervised by Pepper, he is now a lecturer there and has allocated a dilution refrigerator to our collaboration on electron pumps. We have an excellent collaboration with the Taiwan group which has provided new insights into spin-orbit coupling. The Bar Ilan and CUNY collaborations are in the area of theory and have produced some important insights into the behaviour of electrons in nanostructures which is continuing. |
| Impact | 4 good publications |
| Description | Theory of Electron Transport in Semiconductor Nanostructures and Collaborative Experiments |
| Organisation | University of the Balearic Islands |
| Department | Physics |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration and explanation of experiments as well as suggestions of new experiments. These collaborations started before this award but are ongoing and have contributed to the work in the award. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Many ideas and experimental contributions. Allocation of a Dilution Refrigerator in Cape Town for the experimental programme. Dr Blumenthal who is now in CapeTown took a Ph.D in Cambridge and was supervised by Pepper, he is now a lecturer there and has allocated a dilution refrigerator to our collaboration on electron pumps. We have an excellent collaboration with the Taiwan group which has provided new insights into spin-orbit coupling. The Bar Ilan and CUNY collaborations are in the area of theory and have produced some important insights into the behaviour of electrons in nanostructures which is continuing. |
| Impact | 4 good publications |