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arXiv:1910.03583 · Physical Review Research

Visualizing dissipative charge-carrier dynamics at the nanoscale with superconducting-charge-qubit microscopy

Berthold Jäck

Published Oct 6, 2020• 2 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The investigation of novel electronic phases in low-dimensional quantum materials demands for the concurrent development of new measurement techniques that combine surface sensitivity with high spatial resolution and high measurement accuracy.We propose a quantum sensing imaging modality based on superconducting charge qubits to study dissipative charge-carrier dynamics with nanometer spatial and better than nanosecond temporal resolution.Using analytical and numerical calculations, we show that superconducting-charge-qubit microscopy (SCQM) has the potential to resolve temperature and resistivity changes in a sample as small as T 0.1 mK and ρ 1 × 10 4 cm, respectively.Among other applications, SCQM will be especially suited to study the microscopic mechanisms underlying interaction driven quantum phase transitions, to investigate the boundary modes found in novel topological insulators and, more broadly, to visualize dissipative charge-carrier dynamics occurring in mesoscopic and nanoscale devices.

DOI
10.1103/physrevresearch.2.043031

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The investigation of novel electronic phases in low-dimensional quantum materials demands for the concurrent development of new measurement techniques that combine surface sensitivity with high spatial resolution and high measurement accuracy.We propose a quantum sensing imaging modality based on superconducting charge qubits to study dissipative charge-carrier dynamics with nanometer spatial and better than nanosecond temporal resolution.Using analytical and numerical calculations, we show that superconducting-charge-qubit microscopy (SCQM) has the potential to resolve temperature and resistivity changes in a sample as small as T 0.1 mK and ρ 1 × 10 4 cm, respectively.Among other applications, SCQM will be especially suited to study the microscopic mechanisms underlying interaction driven quantum phase transitions, to investigate the boundary modes found in novel topological insulators and, more broadly, to visualize dissipative charge-carrier dynamics occurring in mesoscopic and nanoscale devices.
The investigation of novel electronic phases in low-dimensional quantum materials demands for the concurrent development of measurement techniques that combine surface sensitivity with high spatial resolution and high measurement accuracy. We propose a new quantum sensing imaging modality based on superconducting charge qubits to study dissipative charge carrier dynamics with nanometer spatial and high temporal resolution. Using analytical and numerical calculations we show that superconducting charge qubit microscopy (SCQM) has the potential to resolve temperature and resistivity changes in a sample as small as ΔT≤0.1  \Delta T\leq0.1\;ΔT≤0.1mK and Δρ≤1⋅104 Ω⋅\Delta\rho\leq1\cdot10^{4} \,\Omega\cdotΔρ≤1⋅104Ω⋅cm, respectively. Among other applications, SCQM will be especially suited to study the microscopic mechanisms underlying resistive phase transition, such as the superconductor-insulator-transition in twisted bilayer graphene, to investigate novel topological boundary modes found in higher order topological insulators and to optimize the transport properties of nano- and mesoscopic devices.
The use of qubits as sensitive nanoscale magnetometers has been studied theoretically and recently demonstrated experimentally. In this paper we propose a new concept, in which a scanning two-state quantum system is used to probe a sample through the subtle effects of decoherence. Mapping both the Hamiltonian and decoherence properties of a qubit simultaneously provides a unique image of the magnetic (or electric) field properties at the nanoscale. The resulting images are sensitive to the temporal as well as spatial variation in the fields created by the sample. As examples we theoretically study two applications; one from condensed matter physics, the other biophysics. The individual components required to realize the simplest version of this device (characterization and measurement of qubits, nanoscale positioning) have already been demonstrated experimentally.
The use of qubits as sensitive nanoscale magnetometers has been studied theoretically and recently demonstrated experimentally. In this paper we propose a new concept, in which a scanning two-state quantum system is used to probe a sample through the subtle effects of decoherence. Mapping both the Hamiltonian and decoherence properties of a qubit simultaneously provides a unique image of the magnetic (or electric) field properties at the nanoscale. The resulting images are sensitive to the temporal as well as spatial variation in the fields created by the sample. As examples we theoretically study two applications; one from condensed matter physics, the other biophysics. The individual components required to realize the simplest version of this device (characterization and measurement of qubits, nanoscale positioning) have already been demonstrated experimentally.
A broad effort is underway to understand and harness the interaction between superconductors and spin-active color centers with an eye on hybrid quantum devices and novel imaging modalities of superconducting materials. Most work, however, overlooks the interplay between either system and the environment created by the color center host. Here we use a diamond scanning probe to investigate the spin dynamics of a single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) center proximal to a superconducting film. We find that the presence of the superconductor increases the NV spin coherence lifetime, a phenomenon we tentatively rationalize as a change in the electric noise due to a superconductor-induced redistribution of charge carriers near induced redistribution of charge carriers near the NV. We then build on these findings to demonstrate transverse-relaxation-time-weighted imaging of the superconductor film. These results shed light on the dynamics governing the spin coherence of shallow NVs, and promise opportunities for new forms of noise spectroscopy and imaging of superconductors.
The work involves a study of physical phenomena that take place at very small length scales, below one micro-meter. At temperatures roughly below one degree Kelvin, quantum-mechanical effects may rule in electronic transport. Macroscopic quantum-coherent effects that occur in metallic superconducting microstructures, are particularly intriguing. Large-scale quantum information processing is widely believed to be attainable utilizing such physical systems. This work concentrates on answering the question of how the described quantum-mechanical systems may be used as sensitive measuring devices. Considerable attention is paid to energy-storing metallic microstructures whose electrical properties resemble those of the familiar inductor or capacitor. This research involves primarily experimental investigations conducted around temperatures of 0.1 Kelvin. Methods both at low and at radio frequencies have been used. The experimental findings have been modelled theoretically, and theoretical concepts for new physical phenomena have been introduced. An inductively measured radio-frequency Cooper-pair transistor, the L-SET, has been developed and experimentally verified in this work. Being highly sensitive, fast, and non-invasive, the L-SET appears to be the most promising method for measuring electric charge. Sensitivity in charge measurements of 20 millionths of the electron charge (micro-e) within one second, and an input bandwidth of 100 MHz, have been demonstrated. It has been shown theoretically that the ultimate measurement accuracy is about 0.1 micro-e within a second. A new phase detector based on the Cooper-pair transistor has been proposed. This system has also been shown to be potentially usable as a quantum bit. A new type of radio-frequency single-electron transistor built using a multi-walled carbon nanotube has been fabricated and operated. Technologies have been developed in order to make the physical nano- or microstructures. A method has been presented to fabricate non-superconducting tunnel junctions. Consequences of the inverse superconducting proximity effect on the studied superconducting structures were considered. Measurement procedures were investigated for a new low-noise nanoamplifier, the Bloch-oscillating transistor. Single superconducting tunnel junctions were tested as detectors of energy states of the environment, or of noise.
Abstract Interest is growing in the development of quantum sensing based on the principles of quantum mechanics, such as discrete energy levels, quantum superposition, and quantum entanglement. Superconducting flux qubits are quantum two-level systems whose energy is sensitive to a magnetic field. Therefore, they can be used as high-sensitivity magnetic field sensors that detect the magnetization of a spin ensemble. Since the magnetization depends on temperature and the magnetic field, the temperature can be determined by measuring the magnetization using the flux qubit. In this study, we demonstrated highly sensitive temperature sensing with high spatial resolution as an application of a magnetic field sensor using the quantum coherence of a superconducting flux qubit. By using a superconducting flux qubit to detect the temperature dependence of the polarization ratio of electron spins in nano-diamond particles, we succeeded in measuring the temperature with a sensitivity of 1.3 µKµ Hz − 1 at T = 9.1 mK in the submicrometer range.