Buried unstrained germanium channels: a lattice-matched platform for quantum technology

TL;DR

This paper introduces a lattice-matched platform using unstrained germanium channels with a strained SiGe barrier, enabling high-mobility quantum wells without metamorphic buffers, promising for quantum computing applications.

Contribution

It presents a novel heterojunction structure with unstrained Ge and lattice-matched strained SiGe, achieving low-disorder quantum wells suitable for quantum technology.

Findings

High-mobility 2D hole gas with 1.33×10^5 cm^2/Vs

Strong density-dependent effective mass and g-factor in Ge holes

Enhanced in-plane g-factor in Ge compared to strained Ge

Abstract

Strained Ge ($\epsilon$-Ge) and strained Si ($\epsilon$-Si) buried quantum wells have enabled advanced spin-qubit quantum processors. However, in the absence of suitable lattice-matched substrates, $\epsilon$-Ge and $\epsilon$-Si are deposited on defective, metamorphic SiGe substrates, which may impact device performance and scaling. Here an alternative platform is introduced, based on the heterojunction between unstrained Ge and a lattice-matched strained SiGe ($\epsilon$-SiGe) barrier, eliminating the need for metamorphic buffers altogether. In a structure with a 52-nm-thick $\epsilon$-SiGe barrier, a low-disorder two-dimensional hole gas is demonstrated with a high-mobility of 1.33$\times$10$^5$ cm$^2$/Vs and a low percolation density of 1.4(1)$\times$10$^1$$^0$ cm$^-$$^2$. Quantum transport shows that holes confined in the buried unstrained Ge channel have a strong density-dependent in-plane effective mass and out-of-plane $g$-factor, pointing to a significant heavy-hole$-$light-hole mixing in agreement with theory. Measurements of Zeeman spin-split levels in quantum point contacts further highlight this character, showing a two-fold larger in-plane $g$-factor in Ge than in $\epsilon$-Ge. The prospect of strong spin-orbit interaction, isotopic purification, and of hosting superconducting pairing correlations make this platform appealing for fast quantum hardware and hybrid quantum systems.