Abstract Fast and high-fidelity quantum state detection is essential for building robust spin-based quantum information processing platforms in semiconductors. The Pauli spin blockade (PSB)-based spin-to-charge conversion and its variants are widely used for the spin state discrimination of two-electron singlet–triplet (ST0) qubits; however, the single-shot measurement fidelity is limited by either the low signal contrast, or the short lifetime of the triplet state at the PSB energy detuning, especially due to strong mixing with singlet states at large magnetic field gradients. Ultimately, the limited single-shot measurement fidelity leads to low visibility of quantum operations. Here, we demonstrate an alternative method to achieve spin-to-charge conversion of ST0 qubit states using energy-selective tunneling between doubly occupied quantum dots (QDs) and electron reservoirs. We demonstrate a single-shot measurement fidelity of 90% and an S–T0 oscillation visibility of 81% at a field gradient of 100 mT (~500 MHz h (g*·μB)−1); this allows single-shot readout with full electron charge signal contrast and, at the same time, long and tunable measurement time with negligible effect of relaxation even at strong magnetic field gradients. Using an rf-sensor positioned opposite to the QD array, we apply this method to two ST0 qubits and show high-visibility readout of two individual single-qubit gate operations is possible with a single rf single-electron transistor sensor. We expect our measurement scheme for two-electron spin states can be applied to various hosting materials and provides a simplified and complementary route for multiple qubit state detection with high accuracy in QD-based quantum computing platforms.
Electron spins confined in semiconductor quantum dots are emerging as a promising system to study quantum information science and to perform sensitive metrology. Their weak interaction with the environment leads to long coherence times and robust storage for quantum information, and the intrinsic tunability of semiconductors allows for controllable operations, initialization, and readout of their quantum state. These spin qubits are also promising candidates for the building block for a scalable quantum information processor due to their prospects for scalability and miniaturization. owever, several obstacles limit the performance of quantum information experiments in these systems. For example, the weak coupling to the environment makes inter-qubit operations challenging, and a fluctuating nuclear magnetic field limits the performance of single-qubit operations.\n\n\n\nThe focus of this thesis will be several experiments which address some of the outstanding problems in semiconductor spin qubits, in particular, singlet-triplet (S-T0) qubits. We use these qubits to probe both the electric field and magnetic field noise that limit the performance of these qubits. The magnetic noise bath is probed with high bandwidth and precision using novel techniques borrowed from the field of Hamiltonian learning, which are effective due to the rapid control and readout available in S-T0 qubits. These findings allow us to effectively undo the undesired effects of the fluctuating nuclear magnetic field by tracking them in real-time, and we demonstrate a 30-fold improvement in the coherence time T2*.\n\n\n\nWe probe the voltage noise environment of the qubit using coherent qubit oscillations, which is partially enabled by control of the nuclear magnetic field. We find that the voltage noise bath is frequency- dependent, even at frequencies as high as 1MHz, and it shows surprising and, as of yet, unexplained temperature dependence. We leverage this knowledge of the voltage noise environment, the nuclear magnetic field control, as well as new techniques for calibrated measurement of the density matrix in a singlet-triplet qubit to entangle two adjacent single-triplet qubits. We fully characterize the generated entangled states and prove that they are, indeed, entangled.\n\n\n\nThis work opens new opportunities to use qubits as sensors for improved metrological capabilities, as well as for improved quantum information processing. The singlet-triplet qubit is unique in that it can be used to probe two fundamentally different noise baths, which are important for a large variety of solid state qubits. More specifically, this work establishes the singlet-triplet qubit as a viable candidate for the building block of a scalable quantum information processor.
Singlet-triplet qubits typically require large magnetic field gradients on the order of militeslas to achieve high-fidelity electrically-controlled qubit operations. However, such large magnetic field gradients in quantum dot systems also increase charge noise and provide a relaxation pathway from the triplet to singlet qubit state, making high-fidelity readout challenging. Recently, shelving and latched readout have been employed in gate-defined quantum dots and donor-dot systems to achieve readout fidelities of 80% and 99.86%, respectively. In this paper, we theoretically examine shelving and latched singlet-triplet readout techniques for multidonor-based qubits in silicon where the large phosphorus hyperfine interaction of the order of 100 MHz gives rise to large effective magnetic field gradients (equivalent to tens of mT) but where it can change in time due to the presence of nuclear spin flips. Using numerical simulations, we show that shelving readout does not work giving a zero average visibility for mutidonor quantum dots, due to the time-varying nuclear spin polarization. To remedy this we propose adding a calibration step, in which we derive the nuclear spin polarization from a single shelving readout of a singlet state, before every qubit operation. The derived information can then be used via a feed-forward protocol to apply correct readout mapping, greatly improving the overall readout fidelity to
>99. We also simulate the latched readout mechanism, which is resistant to nuclear polarization changes and is thus promising for achieving high visibility readout. Here we observe a nonzero readout visibility irrespective of the nuclear spin flipping. Finally, we discuss how to optimize the readout visibility in the presence of strong hyperfine interactions and show that for both readout methods we can obtain readout fidelity
>99. These results demonstrate that singlet-triplet qubits based on multidonor quantum dots are a promising route for future electrically controlled qubits in silicon.
A pulsed-gate technique with charge sensing is used to measure the singlet-triplet relaxation time for nearly degenerate spin states in a two-electron double quantum dot. Transitions from the (1,1) charge occupancy state to the (0,2) state, measured as a function of pulse cycle duration and magnetic field, allow the (1,1) singlet-triplet relaxation time $(\ensuremath{\geqslant}70\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{s})$ and the (0,2) singlet-triplet splitting to be measured. This technique can be readily applied to read out a spin-qubit operating in a singlet-triplet basis.
Singlet-triplet qubits offer an attractive encoding for semiconductor quantum computing, combining ancilla-free readout, reduced sensitivity to common-mode noise, and baseband voltage control. However, the Zeeman energy difference
ΔEZ is typically fixed by local magnetic field gradients or
g-factor inhomogeneities, leaving the exchange interaction
J as the only dynamically tunable parameter. This always-on
ΔEZ precludes orthogonal control of the qubit's rotation axes and introduces unwanted state rotations during idling. Here we demonstrate all-electrical orthogonal control of a degenerate singlet-triplet (DST) qubit formed by two hole spins in a germanium double quantum dot. Exploiting the electrically tunable anisotropic
g-factors of the two spins, we identify a regime where both
ΔEZ and
J vanish, making the
S and
T0 states degenerate at the idle point. By applying only baseband voltage pulses, we independently control both
J and
ΔEZ, enabling fully orthogonal
Z- and
X-axis rotations. Randomized benchmarking yields an average physical single-qubit gate fidelity of 99.53\% for a gate duration of approximately 100 ns. Finally, we electrically tune the degenerate point across a wide range of magnetic field orientations, enabling operation in a regime of enhanced coherence time and offering a route towards multi-qubit scaling under a shared global magnetic field.