Quantum control of donor electrons at the Si-SiO2 interface

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates the feasibility of controlling and shuttling donor-bound electrons in silicon quantum computers by tuning electric fields, with calculated shuttling times supporting potential quantum control.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of electron shuttling between bulk donors and the Si-SiO2 interface, demonstrating the possibility of quantum control in silicon nanostructures.

Findings

Shuttling times range from sub-picoseconds to nanoseconds.

Quantum control of donor electrons is theoretically feasible.

Electron transfer depends on donor distance from the interface.

Abstract

Prospects for the quantum control of electrons in the silicon quantum computer architecture are considered theoretically. In particular, we investigate the feasibility of shuttling donor-bound electrons between the impurity in the bulk and the Si-SiO2 interface by tuning an external electric field. We calculate the shuttling time to range from sub-picoseconds to nanoseconds depending on the distance (~ 10-50 nm) of the donor from the interface. Our results establish that quantum control in such nanostructure architectures could, in principle, be achieved.