arXiv subjects

Klaus Ensslin

Publications and source records attributed to Klaus Ensslin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Low-Frequency Charge Noise in Bilayer Graphene Quantum Dots

Bilayer graphene (BLG) quantum dots (QDs) are a promising platform for semiconductor qubits. However, the low-frequency charge noise that may ultimately limit coherence has remained largely unexplored. Here, we systematically characterize charge noise in gate-defined BLG QDs using transport-based noise spectroscopy. We extract a median amplitude of $ S_\mu^{1/2} (1~\text{Hz}) = 1.16~\mu\text{eV}/\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$, placing BLG well within the range reported for established semiconductor quantum-dot platforms. Across variations in charge occupation, confinement, source-drain bias, and charge-sensor operating conditions, neither the noise amplitude nor the spectral dependence shows a reproducible trend in electrostatic tuning, indicating that we extracted the intrinsic semiconductor noise. Consistent noise levels are further observed in double QDs and confirmed using an independent superconducting resonator-based dispersive readout. Extending the study to BLG devices incorporating transition metal dichalcogenide layers reveals no measurable charge noise increase in weakly proximitized QDs. These results validate BLG as a viable platform for coherent quantum information processing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Isolating the natural edges of bilayer graphene in gate-defined mesoscopic devices

We introduce a graphite-gated architecture for bilayer graphene devices in which the active device is completely isolated from the natural graphene edges. Using a single patterned graphite-gate layer, we realize a fully electrostatically defined Hall-bar. Longitudinal and Hall measurements reveal mesoscopic transport features, including Hall-effect quenching and magnetoresistance peaks associated with boundary scattering. The dependence of the mesoscopic features on the carrierdensity shows that the effective channel width increases with the Fermi level and the electrostatic confinement at the gate-defined boundaries, and indicates that the carriers scatter at the electrostatic boundary. Raman spectroscopy and Kelvin probe force microscopy suggest that this boundary is disordered due to the used fabrication methods. Comparably, the quantum mobility in a fieldeffect transistor fabricated with the same architecture is not limited by boundary scattering and the visibility of quantum oscillations down to 4 mT suggests a record value of 2.5 x 10^6 cm2/Vs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Proximity-induced superconductivity in a bilayer graphene quantum point contact

We report the realization of a gate-defined quantum point contact (QPC) in bilayer graphene proximitized by a single aluminum superconducting electrode. Superconducting correlations induced in the ballistic channel enhance the conductance plateaus beyond their normal-state values. In addition, we observe a pronounced above-gap conductance anomaly which serves as a spectroscopic signature of the loss of superconductivity and the associated collapse of the Andreev excess current. By reconstructing the nonlinear current-voltage characteristics, we find that the magnitude of the excess current increases as successive QPC modes are populated. Additionally, we find that the switching current associated with the loss of superconductivity follows the underlying mode structure of the QPC, exhibiting discrete levels consistent with a heat dissipation-driven transition. These results demonstrate that the one-dimensional transport modes of the QPC govern both the equilibrium proximity effect and the non-equilibrium dynamics of the hybrid system.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Vortex Dynamics in Magic-Angle Twisted Graphene

We use a gate-defined Josephson junction (JJ) device made from twisted-layer graphene for studying vortex dynamics in two dimensions. The JJ sensor signals the presence of individual vortices in the superconducting leads nearby the junction through shifts in the Fraunhofer interference pattern of the magnetic-field-dependent critical current $I_c(B)$ across the junction. Rapid vortex fluctuations manifest as telegraph-type noise in time traces of the junction voltage $V(t)$. Measurements of $I_c(B)$ and $V(t)$ are interpreted in terms of multi-vortex processes where fast vortex fluctuations in the leads are modulated by quasi-stationary vortices trapped in the leads. The different timescales associated with these processes allow for their disentangling and quantitative analysis. Tracking the temperature dependence of the vortex-dynamical rates between $T = 7$ mK and $T = 120$ mK, we find that the creep type vortex motion is thermally activated above $T \approx 100$ mK, while the saturation of rates below $T \approx 80$ mK is suggestive of a sharp transition to macroscopic quantum tunneling of vortices.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2026

In-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field driven Josephson diode effect in magic-angle twisted four-layer graphene

The superconducting diode effect offers a powerful probe into the fundamental symmetries of quantum materials. Recent studies on twisted graphene diodes have predominantly focused on bilayer or trilayer systems under out-of-plane magnetic fields. Here, we demonstrate both out-of-plane and in-plane driven Josephson diode effects in a magic-angle twisted four-layer graphene junction, i.e., an even number of layers. We observe the emergence of a diode effect at zero out-of-plane field, tuned by an increasing in-plane magnetic field. This result points to the presence of strong in-plane orbital coupling, which is highly sensitive to the specific layer parity of the structure. Our findings provide experimental insights into the symmetry-breaking mechanisms of even-layer twisted graphene, establishing in-plane magnetic fields as a vital tool for unravelling their microscopic properties.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Monolithic hybrid quantum dot devices in superconducting twisted bilayer graphene

Gate-tunable superconductivity in magic-angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) has enabled the realization of superconducting devices, such as Josephson junctions, within a single crystal. This interface-free platform provides a reconfigurable and scalable architecture that overcomes limitations of conventional superconducting-semiconducting systems. Incorporating single-electron control enables access to regimes in which flat-band superconductivity competes with strong Coulomb repulsion, providing a platform for studying correlated physics phenomena. Here, we report a new class of quantum devices that combines electrostatic confinement with tunable superconductivity in a monolithic MATBG architecture. Within a single device, we demonstrate two complementary hybrid systems: superconducting islands and proximitized quantum dots. The superconducting island exhibits $2e$-periodic transport, indicating a well-defined gap protected against quasiparticle poisoning. The proximitized quantum dot hosts subgap Andreev states together with a strongly parity-modulated supercurrent.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Frequency-resolved decoherence spectroscopy of a semiconductor charge qubit coupled to a high-impedance resonator

Superconducting resonators coupled to semiconductor quantum dots provide a powerful platform to investigate light-matter interaction and decoherence mechanisms in solid-state quantum systems. Here we study a hybrid circuit quantum electrodynamics architecture consisting of a GaAs double-quantum-dot charge qubit capacitively coupled to a high-impedance, frequency-tunable SQUID-array resonator. By tuning the qubit transition frequency over the range $\omega_\mathrm{q}/2\pi \sim 3$-$6$ GHz, we perform frequency-resolved decoherence spectroscopy of the charge qubit across a broad energy window. Time-resolved measurements enable us to disentangle relaxation and pure dephasing processes and to identify distinct decoherence regimes as a function of qubit frequency. We find that at lower frequencies ($\leq 4.5$ GHz) dephasing dominates the qubit linewidth, whereas at higher frequencies energy relaxation becomes the leading contribution. The measured frequency dependence of the relaxation rate exhibits a cubic scaling, consistent with charge-qubit decay dominated by coupling to a piezoelectric phonon bath and providing frequency-resolved access to the corresponding phonon-induced spectral density. Our results show that hybrid semiconductor--superconducting circuits can serve as sensitive spectroscopic tools to probe microscopic decoherence mechanisms relevant for a wide range of hybrid quantum devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Do single-shot projective readouts necessarily estimate the $T_1$ lifetime ?

When single-shot qubit readout protocols are adapted for multilevel systems, theoretical $T_1$ lifetime calculations often fall short of capturing the experimental lifetime trends. We identify extrinsic population dynamics as the fundamental origin of this disparity, establishing that the lifetime estimates can, in certain operating regions, be distinct from the intrinsic $T_1$ time. We clarify these aspects with an integrated theory to address recent measurements [Nat. Nano, 20, 494, (2025)] on spin-valley states in bilayer graphene. While confirming that phonon and Johnson noise are the dominant intrinsic sources, we show that the inclusion of extrinsic factors provide the critical match to the experimental estimates. The extrinsic factors also effectuate violations of generalized Mathiessen's rules. With an improved handle on the design space, a revised readout protocol to estimate the $T_1$ lifetime of the valley qubit is proposed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Valleytronics in 2D Materials Roadmap

Valleytronics exploits non-equivalent energy extrema in the electronic band structure of crystalline solids -- the valley degree of freedom -- to encode, manipulate, and read out information. The advent of 2D materials, first graphene and then transition-metal dichalcogenides, made valley control practical through optical, electrical, and magnetic routes. This foundation has enabled remarkable progress in recent years spanning established frontiers, such as valley exciton physics and valley Hall effects, as well as emerging directions including lightwave valleytronics, nanophotonic integration, flat-band valleytronics, and spin-valley qubits. In parallel, there are sustained efforts to scale up valleytronic materials and to predict new valleytronic platforms. This Roadmap brings together perspectives from leading experts to chart the key opportunities and challenges at the forefront of 2D material valleytronics. Each section captures a snapshot of progress in a key research area, identifies critical open challenges, and outlines pathways toward future valleytronics breakthroughs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Non-equilibrium transport reveals energy level degeneracy

We demonstrate a method to determine energy level degeneracies using non-equilibrium electronic transport through voltage-biased quantum dots. We establish the general validity of this approach using single and double quantum dots in bilayer graphene and GaAs. Unlike established methods based on entropy measurements or time-resolved tunneling statistics, our approach achieves comparable precision without requiring calibrated electron heating or real-time charge detection. We resolve the predicted symmetric shell structure in bilayer graphene quantum dots, including a singlet ground state at half filling and the ground state degeneracies of the first 13 carriers. Extending the method to double quantum dots, we observe degeneracy doubling associated with bonding and antibonding orbitals for a single carrier and a fourfold degeneracy for two carriers, previously inaccessible with existing techniques. These results establish a conceptually general and experimentally straightforward approach for probing energy level degeneracies in complex quantum systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Refined DFT recipe and renormalisation of band-edge parameters for electrons in monolayer MoS$_2$ informed by the measured spin-orbit splitting

Conduction band-edge spin-orbit splitting (SOS) in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides determines a competition between bright and dark excitons and sets conditions for spintronics applications of these semiconductors. Here, we report the SOS measurement for electrons in monolayer MoS$_2$, found from the threshold density, $n_*$, for the upper spin-orbit-split band population, which exceeds by an order of magnitude the values expected from the conventional density functional theory (DFT). Theoretically, half of the observed value can be attributed to the exchange enhancement of SOS in a finite-density electron gas, but explaining the rest requires refining the DFT approach. As the conduction band SOS in MoS$_2$ is set by a delicate balance between the contribution of sulphur $p_x$ and $p_y$ orbitals and $d_{z^2}-d_{xz}$ and $d_{z^2}-d_{yz}$ mixing in molybdenum, we use a DFT+U+V framework for fine-tuning the orbital composition of the relevant band-edge states. An optimised choice of Hubbard U/V parameters produces close agreement with the experimentally observed conduction band SOS in MoS$_2$, simultaneously resulting in the valence-band SOS and the quasi-particle band gap which are closer to their values established in the earlier-published experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Pearl-Vortex Tunneling in Magic-Angle Twisted Graphene

Twisted graphene provides a tunable platform for studying superconductivity in two dimensions. In the presence of electric currents and magnetic fields, vortices determine the phenomenological properties of the material. Related studies usually address bulk properties averaging over ensembles of vortices. Here, we employ a gate-defined Josephson junction as a single-vortex sensor, enabling direct access to individual vortex dynamical events. Our measurements reveal that, at elevated temperatures (T > 100 mK), vortices enter the superconducting leads via classical thermal activation over energy barriers. At lower temperatures (T < 90 mK), we observe macroscopic quantum tunneling through these barriers. The data are consistent with a sharp, first-order type quantum-to-classical transition. From our measurements, we extract vortex entry and exit energy barriers on the order of a few Kelvin and estimate the barrier thickness to be approximately 100 nm, corresponding to about one tenth of the device width.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Long coherence silicon spin qubit fabricated in a 300 mm industrial foundry

Silicon spin qubits offer long coherence times, a compact footprint and compatibility with industrial CMOS manufacturing. Here, we investigate spin qubits hosted in quantum dots fabricated in a state-of-the-art 300 mm nanoelectronics foundry and demonstrate substantially enhanced coherence, achieving a Hahn-echo time of $T_2^{\text{Hahn}} = 4\,\mathrm{ms}$ for singlet--triplet oscillations. Employing noise spectroscopy and noise correlation measurements, we identify detuning noise with an amplitude of $\delta \varepsilon_{\mathrm{rms}} = 2.2\,\mu\mathrm{eV}$ (integrated over 90 s) and observe strong zero-phase correlations between two spatially separated spin qubits. The singlet--triplet basis intrinsically rejects these common-mode fluctuations, yielding a pronounced suppression of dephasing. Our results suggest that exploiting the versatility of silicon quantum dots to adapt the qubit encoding to the microscopic noise landscape represents a promising strategy for advancing scalable quantum information processing.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Time-resolved Charge Detection in Transition Metal Dichalcogenide Quantum Dots

We investigate electronic transport through gate-defined quantum dots in molybdenum disulfide MoS$_2$ using an integrated charge detector. We observe a crossover from two weakly coupled single dots to a strongly coupled double quantum dot. In the regime of extremely weak dot-lead coupling, where the direct transport current is below the detection limit, we measure the dot occupation via charge detection and access the few-electron regime. Due to the large band gap of MoS$_2$, tunneling rates can be sufficiently suppressed to resolve individual tunneling events. These results establish a platform for single-shot spin- and valley-to-charge conversion and highlight the potential of transition-metal dichalcogenide quantum dots for quantum information applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Microwave spectroscopy of few-carrier states in bilayer graphene quantum dots

Bilayer graphene is a maturing material platform for gate-defined quantum dots that hosts long-lived spin and valley states. Implementing solid-state qubits in bilayer graphene requires a fundamental understanding of such confined electronic systems. In particular, states of two and three carriers, for which the exchange interaction between particles plays a crucial role, are a cornerstone for qubit readout and manipulation. Here we report on the spectroscopy of few-carrier states in bilayer graphene quantum dots, using circuit quantum electrodynamics (cQED) techniques that offer substantially improved energy resolution compared to standard transport techniques. Measurements using a superconducting high-impedance resonator capacitively coupled to the double quantum dot reveal dispersive features of two and three electron states, enabling the detection of Pauli spin and valley blockade and the characterization of the spin-orbit gap at zero magnetic field. The results deepen our understanding of few-carrier spin and valley states in bilayer graphene quantum dots and demonstrate that cQED techniques are a powerful state-selective probe for semiconductor nanostructures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Spin-valley 0.7 anomaly in bilayer graphene/WSe$_2$ quantum point contacts

We report a well-resolved 0.7 conductance anomaly at $G = 0.7\times(2e^2/h)$ in bilayer graphene/WSe$_2$ quantum point contacts. Proximity-enhanced spin-orbit coupling splits the four-fold ground state of bilayer graphene into well-separated spin-valley locked Kramers doublets. The anomaly emerges between these opposite spin-valley states. Despite fundamentally different band structure and wavefunction characteristics, the temperature and bias phenomenology closely mirror GaAs systems. In contrast, the parallel magnetic field response differs significantly, confirming the central role of valley degrees of freedom. This opens new pathways to study valley-exchange correlation physics in regimes inaccessible to conventional semiconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Entropy of a double quantum dot

We use charge sensing to detect entropy changes in a double quantum dot defined by electrostatic gating of a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. This system can be tuned to be two separate systems, like two independent, artificial atoms, or a single coherent system, like a molecule. We study entropy changes in both regimes due to changes in the occupation of the system. First we recover the single-dot result for each dot, that the occupation of the dot by a single electron corresponds to an increase in the entropy of $k_{\mathrm{B}} \log 2$. Next we examine two different charge transitions in the "molecular" regime, and how it reveals itself in terms of the measured entropy. We also uncover a realization of Pauli blockade that clutters the entropy signal. By applying a rate equation model, we demonstrate the effect's nonequilibrium origins and exclude it from the analysis of the system's entropy. Understanding these experiments in this simplest coupled system enables the study of the entropy in other, more complicated coupled quantum systems, such as ones with topological or highly entangled ground states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Roadmap on Quantum Thermodynamics

The last two decades has seen quantum thermodynamics become a well established field of research in its own right. In that time, it has demonstrated a remarkably broad applicability, ranging from providing foundational advances in the understanding of how thermodynamic principles apply at the nano-scale and in the presence of quantum coherence, to providing a guiding framework for the development of efficient quantum devices. Exquisite levels of control have allowed state-of-the-art experimental platforms to explore energetics and thermodynamics at the smallest scales which has in turn helped to drive theoretical advances. This Roadmap provides an overview of the recent developments across many of the field's sub-disciplines, assessing the key challenges and future prospects, providing a guide for its near term progress.

quant-ph↗