Single-electron qubits based on quantum ring states on solid neon surface

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electrons trapped on solid neon surfaces form quantum ring states due to surface topography, revealing their potential for stable qubits with tunable excitation energies and guiding improvements in quantum computing systems.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of electron-surface interactions on curved neon surfaces, explaining the formation of quantum ring states and their tunability for qubit applications.

Findings

Surface bumps can naturally bind electrons forming quantum ring states.

Electron excitation energies can be tuned with magnetic fields.

Insights into minimizing charge noise for scalable quantum computing.

Abstract

Single electrons trapped on solid neon surfaces (eNe) have recently emerged as a promising platform for charge qubits. Experimental results have revealed their exceptionally long coherence times, yet the actual quantum states of these trapped electrons, presumably on imperfectly flat neon surfaces, remain elusive. In this paper, we examine the electron's interactions with neon surface topography, such as bumps and valleys. By evaluating the surface charges induced by the electron, we demonstrate its strong perpendicular binding to the neon surface. The Schr\"{o}dinger equation for the electron's lateral motion on the curved 2D surface is then solved for extensive topographical variations. Our results reveal that surface bumps can naturally bind an electron, forming unique quantum ring states that align with experimental observations. We also show that the electron's excitation energy can be tuned using a modest magnetic field to facilitate qubit operation. This study offers a leap in our understanding of eNe qubit properties and provides strategic insights on minimizing charge noise and scaling the system to propel forward quantum computing architectures.