Probing confined phonon modes by transport through a nanowire double quantum dot

Strong radial confinement in semiconductor nanowires leads to modified electronic and phononic energy spectra. We analyze the current response to the interplay between quantum confinement effects of the electron and phonon systems in a gate-defined double quantum dot in a semiconductor nanowire. We show that current spectroscopy of inelastic transitions between the two quantum dots can be used as an experimental probe of the confined phonon environment. The resulting discrete peak structure in the measurements is explained by theoretical modeling of the confined phonon mode spectrum, where the piezoelectric coupling is of crucial importance.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures; final versio

Large Magnetoresistance in Co/Ni/Co Ferromagnetic Single Electron Transistors

We report on magnetotransport investigations of nano-scaled ferromagnetic Co/Ni/Co single electron transistors. As a result of reduced size, the devices exhibit single electron transistor characteristics at 4.2K. Magnetotransport measurements carried out at 1.8K reveal tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) traces with negative coercive fields, which we interpret in terms of a switching mechanism driven by the shape anisotropy of the central wire-like Ni island. A large TMR of about 18% is observed within a finite source-drain bias regime. The TMR decreases rapidly with increasing bias, which we tentatively attribute to excitation of magnons in the central island.Comment: 12 pages (including 4 figures). Accepted for publishing on AP

Imaging a 1-electron InAs quantum dot in an InAs/InP nanowire

Nanowire heterostructures define high-quality few-electron quantum dots for nanoelectronics, spintronics and quantum information processing. We use a cooled scanning probe microscope (SPM) to image and control an InAs quantum dot in an InAs/InP nanowire, using the tip as a movable gate. Images of dot conductance vs. tip position at T = 4.2 K show concentric rings as electrons are added, starting with the first electron. The SPM can locate a dot along a nanowire and individually tune its charge, abilities that will be very useful for the control of coupled nanowire dots

Direct Measurement of the Spin-Orbit Interaction in a Two-Electron InAs Nanowire Quantum Dot

We demonstrate control of the electron number down to the last electron in tunable few-electron quantum dots defined in catalytically grown InAs nanowires. Using low temperature transport spectroscopy in the Coulomb blockade regime we propose a simple method to directly determine the magnitude of the spin-orbit interaction in a two-electron artificial atom with strong spin-orbit coupling. Due to a large effective g-factor |g*|=8+/-1 the transition from singlet S to triplet T+ groundstate with increasing magnetic field is dominated by the Zeeman energy rather than by orbital effects. We find that the spin-orbit coupling mixes the T+ and S states and thus induces an avoided crossing with magnitude $\Delta_{SO}$=0.25+/-0.05 meV. This allows us to calculate the spin-orbit length $\lambda_{SO}\approx$127 nm in such systems using a simple model.Comment: 21 pages, 7 figures, including supplementary note

Test of a Jastrow-type wavefunction for a trapped few-body system in one dimension

For a system with interacting quantum mechanical particles in a one-dimensional harmonic oscillator, a trial wavefunction with simple structure based on the solution of the corresponding two-particle system is suggested and tested numerically. With the inclusion of a scaling parameter for the distance between particles, at least for the very small systems tested here the ansatz gives a very good estimate of the ground state energy, with the error being of the order of ~1% of the gap to the first excited state

Signatures of Wigner Localization in Epitaxially Grown Nanowires

It was predicted by Wigner in 1934 that the electron gas will undergo a transition to a crystallized state when its density is very low. Whereas significant progress has been made towards the detection of electronic Wigner states, their clear and direct experimental verification still remains a challenge. Here we address signatures of Wigner molecule formation in the transport properties of InSb nanowire quantum dot systems, where a few electrons may form localized states depending on the size of the dot (i.e. the electron density). By a configuration interaction approach combined with an appropriate transport formalism, we are able to predict the transport properties of these systems, in excellent agreement with experimental data. We identify specific signatures of Wigner state formation, such as the strong suppression of the antiferromagnetic coupling, and are able to detect the onset of Wigner localization, both experimentally and theoretically, by studying different dot sizes.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Analyzing capacitance-voltage measurements of vertical wrapped-gated nanowires

The capacitance of arrays of vertical wrapped-gate InAs nanowires are analyzed. With the help of a Poisson-Schr"odinger solver, information about the doping density can be obtained directly. Further features in the measured capacitance-voltage characteristics can be attributed to the presence of surface states as well as the coexistence of electrons and holes in the wire. For both scenarios, quantitative estimates are provided. It is furthermore shown that the difference between the actual capacitance and the geometrical limit is quite large, and depends strongly on the nanowire material.Comment: 15 pages, 6 Figures included, to appear in Nanotechnolog

Probing Spin Accumulation in Ni/Au/Ni Single-Electron Transistors with Efficient Spin Injection and Detection Electrodes

We have investigated spin accumulation in Ni/Au/Ni single-electron transistors assembled by atomic force microscopy. The fabrication technique is unique in that unconventional hybrid devices can be realized with unprecedented control, including real-time tunable tunnel resistances. A grid of Au discs, 30 nm in diameter and 30 nm thick, is prepared on a SiO2 surface by conventional e-beam writing. Subsequently, 30 nm thick ferromagnetic Ni source, drain and side-gate electrodes are formed in similar process steps. The width and length of the source and drain electrodes were different to exhibit different coercive switching fields. Tunnel barriers of NiO are realized by sequential Ar and O2 plasma treatment. Using an atomic force microscope with specially designed software, a single non-magnetic Au nanodisc is positioned into the 25 nm gap between the source and drain electrodes. The resistance of the device is monitored in real-time while the Au disc is manipulated step-by-step with Angstrom-level precision. Transport measurements in magnetic field at 1.7 K reveal no clear spin accumulation in the device, which can be attributed to fast spin relaxation in the Au disc. From numerical simulations using the rate-equation approach of orthodox Coulomb blockade theory, we can put an upper bound of a few ns on the spin-relaxation time for electrons in the Au disc. To confirm the magnetic switching characteristics and spin injection efficiency of the Ni electrodes, we fabricated a test structure consisting of a Ni/NiO/Ni magnetic tunnel junction with asymmetric dimensions of the electrodes similar to those of the SETs. Magnetoresistance measurements on the test device exhibited clear signs of magnetic reversal and a maximum TMR of 10%, from which we deduced a spin-polarization of about 22% in the Ni electrodes.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Enhanced Zeeman splitting in Ga0.25In0.75As quantum point contacts

The strength of the Zeeman splitting induced by an applied magnetic field is an important factor for the realization of spin-resolved transport in mesoscopic devices. We measure the Zeeman splitting for a quantum point contact etched into a Ga0.25In0.75As quantum well, with the field oriented parallel to the transport direction. We observe an enhancement of the Lande g-factor from |g*|=3.8 +/- 0.2 for the third subband to |g*|=5.8 +/- 0.6 for the first subband, six times larger than in GaAs. We report subband spacings in excess of 10 meV, which facilitates quantum transport at higher temperatures.Comment: [Version 2] Revtex4, 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Applied Physics Letter