A semiconductor-based device capable of trapping individual electrons and lining them up
could bring quantum computing closer to reality, according to the
University of Wisconsin researchers who designed it.
The device –- a single electron transistor -– serves as a source of electrons for
tiny semiconductors known as quantum
dots –- which are about 50 billionths of a meter wide, UW professor of physics and project
researcher Mark Eriksson told NewsFactor.
In addition to quantum computing –- which exploits electron spin to achieve the processing
of exponentially more bits of information at the same time –- the device may help in
the
creation of large databases as well as such
data-intensive tasks as sophisticated
encryption  and code breaking,
Eriksson said.
Same as Semis
The quantum dots designed at UW each contain a single electron and
tiny amounts silicon-germanium -- the same semiconductor materials used in
computer chips.
"This material system is significant, because it is compatible with current silicon
microelectronics," Eriksson said.
When a number of the quantum dots are aligned, the electrons they house become usable
bits, also known as qubits, which are the basis for quantum computing.
Line 'Em Up
Eriksson said the single electron transistor is unique, because it has a back gate
directly beneath it, which serves as a source of electrons for the quantum dot.
While he called the work "one piece of a very big picture," Eriksson said the quantum
dots could supply the building block bits for quantum computing, which allows the
processing of millions, or even billions, of bits of information at once.
"The first prerequisite to building a large computer is to have a lot of bits, and we
think we have a way to get a lot of them," Eriksson said. "We've done some sophisticated
simulations with this device that show the concept is very likely to work, and we're in
the beginning stages of actually making the device."
Extreme Cold Required
One limiting factor of the research is the requirement of cryogenic temperatures and a
large magnetic field.
"The requirement of cryogenic temperatures is a challenge, in the sense that it is very
unlikely that each of us will have a low-temperature cryostat in our offices or homes,"
Eriksson said. "It is, however, conceivable that low temperatures will be tolerable for
specialized applications."
Eriksson said it is likely that any widespread use of quantum computing will require new
advances to overcome this challenge. He expressed optimism on that score, though, noting
that early computers required enormous rooms to function in, whereas they now can
fit on desks or even in laps. (continued...)
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