Ultrashort electron wavepackets via frequency-comb synthesis

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates a novel method to generate ultrashort electron wavepackets using frequency combs, achieving the shortest pulse duration of 27 ps, which advances quantum nanoelectronics and electron quantum optics.

Contribution

It introduces a new technique combining frequency comb harmonics to synthesize Lorentzian voltage pulses for ultrashort electron wavepacket generation.

Findings

Generated 27 ps electron wavepackets, the shortest reported to date.

Enabled studies of ultrafast quantum dynamics in nanoelectronic systems.

Paved the way for implementing flying electron qubits using Levitons.

Abstract

Single-electron sources are an essential component of modern quantum nanoelectronic devices. Owing to their high accuracy and stability, they have been successfully employed for metrology applications, studying fundamental matter interactions and more recently for electron quantum optics. They are traditionally driven by state-of-the-art arbitrary waveform generators that are capable of producing single-electron pulses in the sub-100 ps timescale. In this work, we use an alternative approach for generating ultrashort electron wavepackets. By combining several harmonics provided by a frequency comb, we synthesise Lorentzian voltage pulses and then use them to generate electron wavepackets. Through this technique, we report on the generation and detection of an electron wavepacket with temporal duration of 27 ps generated on top of the Fermi sea of a 2-dimensional electron gas - the shortest reported to date. Electron pulses this short enable studies on elusive, ultrafast fundamental quantum dynamics in nanoelectronic systems and pave the way to implement flying electron qubits by means of Levitons.