arXiv subjects

Kimberly Dick

Publications and source records attributed to Kimberly Dick.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Radial etching of strongly confined crystal-phase defined quantum dots

We realize strongly confined quantum dots (QDs) in InAs nanowires (NWs) by combining epitaxial crystal-phase control with chemical wet etching. A strong axial confinement is first introduced by growing closely spaced wurtzite (WZ) tunnel barriers in NWs to enclose a zinc blende (ZB) QD. The NW cross-section is then reduced by isotropic etching to obtain very small QDs, with a maximum observed charging energy > 30 meV. Using low-temperature electrical characterization and finite-element method simulations, we study how charging energies and the onset of electron filling scale with QD diameter. For extremely small diameters, we identify a regime where stray capacitances become non-negligible, limiting further increase in charging energy by diameter reduction alone. This approach to increasing confinement is particularly relevant for understanding the strong spin-orbit interaction observed in crystal-phase QDs, possibly linked to polarization charges at the WZ/ZB interfaces. Small diameter QDs allow considerably weaker interfering electric fields when studied, but the QDs cannot be realized with epitaxial growth alone due to a loss of crystal phase control.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Josephson junction \pi-0 transition induced by orbital hybridization in a double quantum dot

In this work, we manipulate the phase shift of a Josephson junction using a parallel double quantum dot (QD). By employing a superconducting quantum interference device, we determine how orbital hybridization and detuning affect the current-phase relation in the Coulomb blockade regime. For weak hybridization between the QDs, we find $\pi$ junction characteristics if at least one QD has an unpaired electron. Notably the critical current is higher when both QDs have an odd electron occupation. By increasing the inter-QD hybridization the critical current is reduced, until eventually a $\pi$-0 transition occurs. A similar transition appears when detuning the QD levels at finite hybridization. Based on a zero-bandwidth model, we argue that both cases of phase-shift transitions can be understood considering an increased weight of states with a double occupancy in the ground state and with the Cooper pair transport dominated by local Andreev reflection.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Josephson current via spin and orbital states of a tunable double quantum dot

Supercurrent transport is experimentally studied in a Josephson junction hosting a double quantum dot (DQD) with tunable symmetries. The QDs are parallel-coupled to two superconducting contacts and can be tuned between strong inter-dot hybridization and a ring geometry where hybridization is suppressed. In both cases, we observe supercurrents when the two interacting orbitals are either empty or filled with spins, or a combination. However, when each QD hosts an unpaired spin, the supercurrent depends on the spin ground state. It is strongly suppressed for the ring geometry with a spin-triplet ground state at zero external magnetic field. By increasing the QD hybridization, we find that a supercurrent appears when the ground state changes to spin-singlet. In general, supercurrents are suppressed in cases of spin doublet ground state, but an exception occurs at orbital degeneracy when the system hosts one additional spin, as opposed to three, pointing to a broken particle-hole symmetry.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Gate control, g-factors and spin orbit energy of p-type GaSb nanowire quantum dot devices

Proposals for quantum information applications are frequently based on the coherent manipulation of spins confined to quantum dots. For these applications, p-type III-V material systems promise a reduction of the hyperfine interaction while maintaining large $g$-factors and strong spin-orbit interaction. In this work, we study bottom-gated device architectures to realize single and serial multi-quantum dot systems in Schottky contacted p-type GaSb nanowires. We find that the effect of potentials applied to gate electrodes on the nanowire is highly localized to the immediate vicinity of the gate electrode only, which prevents the formation of double quantum dots with commonly used device architectures. We further study the transport properties of a single quantum dot induced by bottom-gating, find large gate-voltage dependent variations of the $g^*$-factors up to $8.1\pm 0.2$ as well as spin-orbit energies between $110$-$230\,μ$eV.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗