Single Spin Measurement using Single Electron Transistors to Probe Two Electron Systems

TL;DR

This paper proposes a method using single electron transistors to measure single electron and nuclear spins in solid-state systems, specifically in silicon with double donors, enabling advancements in quantum computing.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel measurement strategy leveraging SETs to detect single spins in silicon-based systems, addressing current technological feasibility and limitations.

Findings

Feasibility of single spin measurement in silicon using SETs.

Identification of limitations due to spin scattering and phonons.

Potential application in quantum computing architectures.

Abstract

We present a method for measuring single spins embedded in a solid by probing two electron systems with a single electron transistor (SET). Restrictions imposed by the Pauli Principle on allowed two electron states mean that the spin state of such systems has a profound impact on the orbital states (positions) of the electrons, a parameter which SET's are extremely well suited to measure. We focus on a particular system capable of being fabricated with current technology: a Te double donor in Si adjacent to a Si/SiO2 interface and lying directly beneath the SET island electrode, and we outline a measurement strategy capable of resolving single electron and nuclear spins in this system. We discuss the limitations of the measurement imposed by spin scattering arising from fluctuations emanating from the SET and from lattice phonons. We conclude that measurement of single spins, a necessary requirement for several proposed quantum computer architectures, is feasible in Si using this strategy.