arXiv subjects

Giordano Scappucci

Publications and source records attributed to Giordano Scappucci.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2026

Tailoring Germanium Heterostructures for Quantum Devices with Machine Learning

Germanium (Ge) quantum wells are emerging as versatile platforms for quantum devices, supporting high-quality spin qubits and integration with superconducting leads. These applications benefit from strong intrinsic spin-orbit interaction (SOI), enabling efficient electrical control and engineering of spin degrees of freedom. The most advanced Ge/SiGe heterostructures to date, based on compressively strained Ge channels within strain-relaxed silicon-germanium (SiGe) barriers, exhibit weak SOI due to the heavy-hole character of the wave function, posing challenges for spin-based quantum devices and requiring complex device designs for fast qubit manipulation. In this work, we demonstrate that concrete heterostructure modifications can overcome these limitations, enhancing SOI by up to three orders of magnitude. Specifically, we propose to enrich unstrained Ge channels by localized, strained silicon spikes. Leveraging a multi-objective Bayesian optimization, we optimize the spike profile to maximize SOI, while ensuring compatibility with current epitaxial growth processes and robustness against realistic variations of growth parameters. Our heterostructure substantially enhances device performance, yielding up to two orders of magnitude higher quantum-dot spin qubit quality factors than state-of-the-art materials. We also predict GHz-scale spin splittings for hybrid superconducting Andreev spin qubits. These novel Ge heterostructures with engineered Si concentration profiles can open pathways to scalable quantum and spintronic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Large quantum dot energy level shifts in anomalous photon-assisted tunneling

Orbital energy splittings are important quantum dot parameters for the operation of hole spin qubits. They are known to depend on the lateral confinement of the quantum dots. However, when changing top, plunger gate voltages, which are the typical control parameter for qubit applications, such energy splitting changes are typically negligible, both as measured in experiment and as assumed in effective theories. Here, we study the singlet-triplet (ST) splittings, which depend on the orbital splittings, of a double quantum dot (DQD) in a Ge/SiGe heterostructure using photon-assisted tunneling (PAT) and pulsed-gate spectroscopy. We find that the ST splittings have a surprising, strong dependence on the top gate voltages, leading to anomalous PAT measurements. We combine data from both measurements in a model that well describes the linear gate-voltage dependence of the ST splittings. Finally, we show that the ST splittings of the two dots exhibit similar linear gate-voltage dependences when the device is retuned such that their ratio is significantly different.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Singlet-triplet oscillations in multivalley Si double quantum dots

Charge separation from the $(4,0)$ to the $(3,1)$ state in a Si/SiGe double quantum dot is commonly used for initialization of spin qubits and Pauli-spin-blockade readout. It was used in recent experiments involving creation of the $(3,1)$ singlet, and subsequent shuttling of one of the electrons. We present a theoretical description of the process of charge separation and singlet-triplet mixing, arriving at expressions for the singlet return probability that take into account experimentally observed finite probabilities of the creation of singlets with various patterns of valley occupations. In our analysis we focus on magnetic fields for which the electron spin Zeeman splitting is close to the valley splitting in one of the dots, when the spin-valley coupling causes a strong renormalization of the frequency of oscillations of singlet return probability. The latter effect has been recently used to perform valley splitting mapping by shuttling of one quantum dot to various locations with respect to the other. We give a detailed description of singlet-triplet dynamics near these spin-valley resonances and compare the results of calculations with measurements on double quantum dots in two distinct Si/SiGe heterostructures. Comparison of theory with experiments in which the presence of a few valley occupation patterns is visible, gives insight into the valley dependence of $g$-factors in these structures, providing support for a recently proposed theoretical model of this dependence. We also discuss how dephasing of singlet return probability oscillations near the spin-valley resonances is affected by valley splitting fluctuations caused by electric field noise.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Buried unstrained germanium channels: a lattice-matched platform for quantum technology

Strained Ge ($ε$-Ge) and strained Si ($ε$-Si) buried quantum wells have enabled advanced spin-qubit quantum processors. However, in the absence of suitable lattice-matched substrates, $ε$-Ge and $ε$-Si are deposited on defective, metamorphic SiGe substrates, which may impact device performance and scaling. Here an alternative platform is introduced, based on the heterojunction between unstrained Ge and a lattice-matched strained SiGe ($ε$-SiGe) barrier, eliminating the need for metamorphic buffers altogether. In a structure with a 52-nm-thick $ε$-SiGe barrier, a low-disorder two-dimensional hole gas is demonstrated with a high-mobility of 1.33$\times$10$^5$ cm$^2$/Vs and a low percolation density of 1.4(1)$\times$10$^1$$^0$ cm$^-$$^2$. Quantum transport shows that holes confined in the buried unstrained Ge channel have a strong density-dependent in-plane effective mass and out-of-plane $g$-factor, pointing to a significant heavy-hole$-$light-hole mixing in agreement with theory. Measurements of Zeeman spin-split levels in quantum point contacts further highlight this character, showing a two-fold larger in-plane $g$-factor in Ge than in $ε$-Ge. The prospect of strong spin-orbit interaction, isotopic purification, and of hosting superconducting pairing correlations make this platform appealing for fast quantum hardware and hybrid quantum systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Scaling of silicon spin qubits under correlated noise

The path to fault-tolerant quantum computing hinges on hardware that scales while remaining compatible with quantum error correction (QEC). Silicon spin qubits are a leading hardware candidate because they combine industrial fabrication compatibility with a nanoscale footprint that could accommodate millions of qubits on a chip. However, their suitability for QEC remains uncertain since spatially correlated noise naturally emerges from the resulting close proximity of qubits. These correlations increase the likelihood of simultaneous errors and erode the redundancy that QEC depends on. Here we quantify the spatial extent of noise correlations in a five-qubit silicon array and assess their impact on QEC. We identify two distinct sources of correlated noise: global magnetic field drifts that generate perfectly correlated fluctuations, and charge noise from two-level fluctuators that produces short-range correlations decaying within neighboring qubits. While magnetic drifts represent a critical correlated noise source that can compromise QEC, they can be mitigated. In contrast, the measured charge noise correlations are moderate, electrically tunable, and compatible with fault-tolerant operation with minimal qubit overhead. Our results establish quantitative benchmarks for correlated noise and clarify how such correlations impact the viability of quantum error correction in scalable qubit arrays.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Coherence Protection for Mobile Spin Qubits in Silicon

Mobile spin qubit architectures promise flexible connectivity for efficient quantum error correction and relaxed device layout constraints, but their viability rests on preserving spin coherence during transport. While shuttling transforms spatial disorder into time-dependent noise, its net impact on spin coherence remains an open question. Here we demonstrate systematic noise mitigation during spin shuttling in a linear $^{28}$Si/SiGe quantum dot device. First, by passively reducing magnetic field gradients, we minimize charge-noise coupling to the spin and double the spatially averaged dephasing time $T_2^*(x_n)$ from $4.4$ to $8.5\,μ\text{s}$. Next, we exploit motional narrowing by periodically shuttling the qubit, achieving a further enhancement in coherence time up to $T_{2}^{*,sh} = 11.5\,μ\text{s}$. Finally, we incorporate dynamical decoupling techniques while periodically shuttling over distances exceeding $200\,\text{nm}$, reaching $T_\text{2}^{H,sh}= 32\,μ\text{s}$. For the same setup, we demonstrate that dressed-state shuttling provides robust protection against low-frequency noise with a decay time $T_R^{\text{sh}} = 21\,μ\text{s}$, without the overhead of pulsed control and allowing protection during one-way spin transport. By preserving coherence over timescales exceeding typical gate and readout operations, the demonstrated strategies establish mobile spin qubits as a viable solution for scalable silicon quantum processors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Weight-four parity checks with silicon spin qubits

Recent advances in coherent spin shuttling have made sparse semiconductor spin qubit arrays an appealing solid-state platform to realize quantum processors. The dynamic and long-range connectivity enabled by shuttling is also essential for many quantum error-correction (QEC) schemes. Here, we demonstrate a silicon spin-qubit device that comprises a shuttling bus for coherently transporting qubits that can interact at four isolated locations we call bus stops. We dynamically populate the array and tune all single- and two-qubit operations using shuttling and quantum non-demolition (QND) spin measurements, without access to charge sensing in most of the device. We achieve universal control of the effective five-qubit processor and select the connectivity required to form a surface-code stabilizer plaquette that supports X- and Z-type parity checks up to weight-four. We use the parity checks to generate multi-qubit entanglement between all qubit combinations in the array and report the genuine entanglement of a five-qubit Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) state, constituting the largest such state ever constructed with gate-defined semiconductor spins. This work opens immediate opportunities to pursue QEC experiments with spin qubits, and the protocols developed here lay the groundwork for the modular calibration and operation of sparse spin qubit arrays.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Inferring charge-noise source locations from correlations in spin qubits

We investigate low-frequency noise in a spin-qubit device made in isotopically purified Si/Si-Ge. Observing sizable cross-correlations among energy fluctuations of different qubits, we conclude that these fluctuations are dominated by charge noise. At low frequencies, the noise spectra are not well described by a power law; instead, they reveal the presence of a few individual two-level fluctuators (TLFs). We demonstrate that the noise cross-correlations allow one to get information on the spatial location of such individual TLFs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Distributing entanglement between distant semiconductor qubit registers using a shared-control shuttling link

Semiconductor quantum processors have potential to scale to modular quantum computers, in which qubit registers are coupled by quantum links, enabling high connectivity and space for control circuitry. Individual spin-qubit registers have progressed to two-dimensional systems and execution of small quantum algorithms. Separately, high-fidelity spin shuttling has been demonstrated in linear channels defined by individual gate electrodes. Here, we realize the first shared-control shuttling link integrated between distant qubit registers to demonstrate quantum entanglement in a basic modular quantum processor based on hole spin qubits in germanium. We develop a protocol to compensate for spin-orbit-induced rotations during qubit transfer, allowing for shuttling between qubit registers separated by more than one micrometer in approximately a hundred nanoseconds. Combining local qubit operation with coherent shuttling, we generate Bell states formed by spins residing in separate registers. Characterizing them using quantum state tomography, we demonstrate entanglement between spin qubits in distant registers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Towards autonomous time-calibration of large quantum-dot devices: Detection, real-time feedback, and noise spectroscopy

The performance and scalability of semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) qubits are limited by electrostatic drift and charge noise that shift operating points and destabilize qubit parameters. As systems expand to large one- and two-dimensional arrays, manual recalibration becomes impractical, creating a need for autonomous stabilization frameworks. Here, we introduce a method that uses the full network of charge-transition lines in repeatedly acquired double-quantum-dot charge stability diagrams (CSDs) as a multidimensional probe of the local electrostatic environment. By accurately tracking the motion of selected transitions in time, we detect voltage drifts, identify abrupt charge reconfigurations, and apply compensating updates to maintain stable operating conditions. We demonstrate our approach on a 10-QD device, showing robust stabilization and real-time diagnostic access to dot-specific noise processes. The high acquisition rate of radio-frequency reflectometry CSD measurements also enables time-domain noise spectroscopy, allowing the extraction of noise power spectral densities, the identification of two-level fluctuators, and the analysis of spatial noise correlations across the array. From our analysis, we find that the background noise at 100~$μ$\si{\hertz} is dominated by drift with a power law of $1/f^2$, accompanied by a few dominant two-level fluctuators and an average linear correlation length of $(188 \pm 38)$~\si{\nano\meter} in the device. These capabilities form the basis of a scalable, autonomous calibration and characterization module for QD-based quantum processors, providing essential feedback for long-duration, high-fidelity qubit operations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Automated electrostatic characterization of quantum dot devices in single- and bilayer heterostructures

As quantum dot (QD)-based spin qubits advance toward larger, more complex device architectures, rapid, automated device characterization and data analysis tools become critical. The orientation and spacing of transition lines in a charge stability diagram (CSD) contain a fingerprint of a QD device's capacitive environment, making these measurements useful tools for device characterization. However, manually interpreting these features is time-consuming, error-prone, and impractical at scale. Here, we present an automated protocol for extracting underlying capacitive properties from CSDs. Our method integrates machine learning, image processing, and object detection to identify and track charge transitions across large datasets without manual labeling. We demonstrate this method using experimentally measured data from a strained-germanium single-quantum-well (planar) and a strained-germanium double-quantum-well (bilayer) QD device. Unlike for planar QD devices, CSDs in bilayer germanium heterostructure exhibit a larger set of transitions, including interlayer tunneling and distinct loading lines for the vertically stacked QDs, making them a powerful testbed for automation methods. By analyzing the properties of many CSDs, we can statistically estimate physically relevant quantities, like relative lever arms and capacitive couplings. Thus, our protocol enables rapid extraction of useful, nontrivial information about QD devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

A Three-Dimensional Array of Quantum Dots

Quantum dots can confine single electrons or holes to define spin qubits that can be operated with high fidelity. Experimental work has progressed from linear to two-dimensional arrays of quantum dots, enabling qubit interactions that are essential for quantum simulation and computation. Here, we explore architectures beyond planar geometries by constructing quantum dot arrays in three dimensions. We realize an eight-quantum dot system in a silicon-germanium heterostructure comprising two stacked germanium quantum wells, where quantum dots are positioned at the vertices of a cuboid. Using electrostatic gate control, we load a single hole into any of the eight quantum dots. To demonstrate the potential of multilayer quantum dot systems, we show coherent spin control and hopping-induced spin rotations by shuttling between the quantum wells. The ability to extend quantum dot arrays in three dimensions provides opportunities for novel quantum hardware and high-connectivity quantum circuits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Many-body interferometry with semiconductor spins

Quantum simulators enable studies of many-body phenomena which are intractable with classical hardware. Spins in devices based on semiconductor quantum dots promise precise electrical control and scalability advantages, but accessing many-body phenomena has so far been restricted by challenges in nanofabrication and simultaneous control of multiple interactions. Here, we perform spectroscopy of up to eight interacting spins using a 2x4 array of gate-defined germanium quantum dots. The spectroscopy protocol is based on Ramsey interferometry and adiabatic mapping of many-body eigenstates to single-spin eigenstates, enabling a complete energy spectrum reconstruction. As the interaction strength exceeds magnetic disorder, we observe signatures of the crossover from localization to a chaotic phase marking a step towards the observation of many-body phenomena in quantum dot systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Conductance Plateaus at Quantum Hall Integer Filling Factors in Germanium Quantum Point Contacts

Constricting transport through a one-dimensional quantum point contact in the quantum Hall regime enables gate-tunable selection of the edge modes propagating between voltage probe electrodes. Here we investigate the quantum Hall effect in a quantum point contact fabricated on low disorder strained germanium quantum wells. For increasing magnetic field, we observe Zeeman spin-split 1D ballistic hole transport evolving to integer quantum Hall states, with well-defined quantised conductance increasing in multiples of $e^2/h$ down to the first integer filling factor $ν=1$. These results establish strained germanium as a viable platform for complex experiments probing many-body states and quantum phase transitions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Using Landau quantization to probe disorder in semiconductor heterostructures

Understanding scattering mechanisms in semiconductor heterostructures is crucial to reducing sources of disorder and ensuring high yield and uniformity in large spin qubit arrays. Disorder of the parent two-dimensional electron or hole gas is commonly estimated by the critical, percolation-driven density associated with the metal-insulator transition. However, a reliable estimation of the critical density within percolation theory is hindered by the need to measure conductivity with high precision at low carrier densities, where experiments are most difficult. Here, we connect experimentally percolation density and quantum Hall plateau width, in line with an earlier heuristic intuition, and offer an alternative method for characterizing semiconductor heterostructure disorder.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Tracking spin qubit frequency variations over 912 days

Solid-state qubits are sensitive to their microscopic environment, causing the qubit properties to fluctuate on a wide range of timescales. The sub-Hz end of the spectrum is usually dealt with by repeated background calibrations, which bring considerable overhead. It is thus important to characterize and understand the low-frequency variations of the relevant qubit characteristics. In this study, we investigate the stability of spin qubit frequencies in the Si/SiGe quantum dot platform. We find that the calibrated qubit frequencies of a six-qubit device vary by up to $\pm 100$ MHz while performing a variety of experiments over a span of 912 days. These variations are sensitive to the precise voltage settings of the gate electrodes, however when these are kept constant to within 15 $\mathrmμ$V, the qubit frequencies vary by less than $\pm 7$ MHz over periods up to 36 days. During overnight scans, the qubit frequencies of ten qubits across two different devices show a standard deviation below 200 kHz within a 1-hour time window. The qubit frequency noise spectral density shows roughly a $1/f$ trend above $10^{-4}$ Hz and, strikingly, a steeper trend at even lower frequencies.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

QARPET: A Crossbar Chip for Benchmarking Semiconductor Spin Qubits

Large-scale integration of semiconductor spin qubits into quantum processors hinges on the ability to characterize quantum components at scale, a task challenged by their operation at sub-kelvin temperatures, in the presence of magnetic fields, and by the use of radio-frequency signals. Here, we present QARPET (Qubit-Array Research Platform for Engineering and Testing), a scalable architecture for characterizing spin qubits using a quantum dot crossbar array. The crossbar features tightly-pitched spin qubit tiles and is implemented in planar germanium, by fabricating a large device with the potential to host 1058 hole spin qubits. Measurements on a patch of 40 tiles demonstrate key device functionality at millikelvin temperatures, including tile addressability, threshold voltage and charge noise statistics, and the characterisation of hole spin qubits and their coherence times in a single tile. These demonstrations pave the way for a new generation of quantum devices designed for the statistical characterisation of spin qubits.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Quantum oscillations in two-dimensional hole gases with competing cyclotron and Zeeman energy

Evaluation of critical bandstructure and quantum transport parameters in two-dimensional systems is challenging when competition emerges among different energy scales shaping quantum oscillations in a magnetic field. Here we overcome this challenge in low-disorder strained germanium quantum wells by evaluating self-consistently effective mass, g-factor, and quantum lifetime. As a result, we estimate a quantum mobility of 133(3)$\times$10$^3$ cm$^2$/Vs, setting a benchmark for 2D holes in group IV semiconductors. The high quality of the hole gas if further highlighted by observing clean fractional quantum Hall states at low magnetic field and low density.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗