Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

arXiv:2002.08925 · Nature Communications

Electron cascade for distant spin readout

Cornelis Jacobus van Diepen, Tzu-Kan Hsiao, U. Mukhopadhyay, Christian Reichl, W. Wegscheider, Lieven M. K. Vandersypen

Published Jan 4, 2021• 18 citations
arXivHTMLPDF

Abstract

The spin of a single electron in a semiconductor quantum dot provides a well-controlled and long-lived qubit implementation. The electron charge in turn allows control of the position of individual electrons in a quantum dot array, and enables charge sensors to probe the charge configuration. Here we show that the Coulomb repulsion allows an initial charge transition to induce subsequent charge transitions, inducing a cascade of electron hops, like toppling dominoes. A cascade can transmit information along a quantum dot array over a distance that extends by far the effect of the direct Coulomb repulsion. We demonstrate that a cascade of electrons can be combined with Pauli spin blockade to read out distant spins and show results with potential for high fidelity using a remote charge sensor in a quadruple quantum dot device. We implement and analyse several operating modes for cascades and analyse their scaling behaviour. We also discuss the application of cascade-based spin readout to densely-packed two-dimensional quantum dot arrays with charge sensors placed at the periphery. The high connectivity of such arrays greatly improves the capabilities of quantum dot systems for quantum computation and simulation.

DOI
10.1038/s41467-020-20388-6

Related papers

Electron cascade for distant spin readout

Cornelis Jacobus van Diepen, Tzu-Kan Hsiao, U. Mukhopadhyay +3 more

Abstract The spin of a single electron in a semiconductor quantum dot provides a well-controlled and long-lived qubit implementation. The electron charge in turn allows control of the position of individual electrons in a quantum dot array, and enables charge sensors to probe the charge configuration. Here we show that the Coulomb repulsion allows an initial charge transition to induce subsequent charge transitions, inducing a cascade of electron hops, like toppling dominoes. A cascade can transmit information along a quantum dot array over a distance that extends by far the effect of the direct Coulomb repulsion. We demonstrate that a cascade of electrons can be combined with Pauli spin blockade to read out distant spins and show results with potential for high fidelity using a remote charge sensor in a quadruple quantum dot device. We implement and analyse several operating modes for cascades and analyse their scaling behaviour. We also discuss the application of cascade-based spin readout to densely-packed two-dimensional quantum dot arrays with charge sensors placed at the periphery. The high connectivity of such arrays greatly improves the capabilities of quantum dot systems for quantum computation and simulation.

•Jan 1, 2021•14 citations

Radio-frequency electron cascade in semiconductor quantum dots

Tara Murphy, Lorenzo Peri, Giovanni A. Oakes +8 more

Electron cotunneling in semiconductor quantum dots is a higher-order tunneling mechanism that connects initial and final charge states through energetically inaccessible virtual intermediate configurations. In quantum-dot arrays, such processes can produce simultaneous charge motion across multiple tunnel junctions and enable transitions that would otherwise be suppressed by Coulomb blockade. Here, building on an earlier proof-of-principle demonstration, we investigate radio-frequency (rf)-driven correlated cotunneling and its application to dispersive quantum-dot readout. Using both theoretical modeling and experimental measurements in two different foundry-fabricated silicon devices, we show that an external rf drive can induce correlated cyclic single-electron transitions, resulting in enhanced charge-polarization of the system. We develop a general theoretical framework for rf electron-cascade readout, which exploits cotunneling events in quantum-dot systems with three or more dots to produce a relative signal enhancement, and extend its experimental demonstration to a gate-sensed device architecture. Our results establish the operating principles of rf electron-cascade readout and provide a route to increased dispersive readout fidelity in semiconductor quantum computing architectures.

cond-mat.mes-hallCross-listedarXiv:2610.05206•Oct 6, 2026•0 citations

Combining multiplexed gate-based readout and isolated CMOS quantum dot arrays

Pierre Hamonic, Martin Nurizzo, Jayshankar Nath +15 more

Semiconductor quantum dot arrays are a promising platform to perform spin-based error-corrected quantum computation with large numbers of qubits. However, due to the diverging number of possible charge configurations combined with the limited sensitivity of large-footprint charge sensors, achieving single-spin occupancy in each dot in a growing quantum dot array is exceedingly complex. Therefore, to scale-up a spin-based architecture we must change how individual charges are readout and controlled. Here, we demonstrate single-spin occupancy of each dot in a foundry-fabricated array by combining two methods. 1/ Loading a finite number of electrons into the quantum dot array; simplifying electrostatic tuning by isolating the array from the reservoirs. 2/ Deploying multiplex gate-based reflectometry to dispersively probe charge tunneling and spin states without charge sensors or reservoirs. Our isolated arrays probed by embedded multiplex readout can be readily electrostatically tuned. They are thus a viable, scalable approach for spin-based quantum architectures. Large-footprint, low-sensitivity charge sensors hinder scaling semiconductor quantum dot arrays for quantum computation. Here the authors present a potentially scalable approach using multiplexed gate-based readout and operation in a foundry-fabricated quantum dot array, demonstrating single-electron occupancy.

arXiv:2410.02325•Nature Communications•Jul 9, 2025•4 citations

Controlled quantum dot array segmentation and complete two-electron spin state readout

Martin Nurizzo

Spin qubits in semiconductor quantum circuits have been identified as a compelling platform for large scale quantum computing. Today an ongoing effort of the community is aiming at the scaling of such systems by filling larger and larger arrays. In this context the development of tuning and readout protocols allowing to reduce the inherent complexity of such systems seems to be a necessity.In the first part of my thesis, I demonstrate array partitioning of a linear triple quantum dot defined in a AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure via a highly tunable interdot tunnel coupling. This allows us to operate independently smaller sections of the array which reduces the number of available charge states for the system and therefore reduces its complexity during the tuning.The second part of my thesis is focused on reducing the hardware overhead necessary to extract information during the readout of the spin qubits. In semiconductor spin qubits, high fidelity read-out is obtained through Pauli spin blockade in a double quantum dot with two electrons probed by a local electrometer. One electron is the qubit, the second is the ancilla and only one bit of information is extracted. To obtain the full two-bit information of the two-electron spin states, more quantum hardware is necessary (either dots, electrometers, or reservoirs).Based on an original protocol, I develop in this thesis a complete single-shot read-out procedure for two-electron spin states in a double quantum dot discriminating between S, T0, T+ and T-. It uses successively three distinct spin-to-charge conversion protocols interleaved with charge configuration measurements. The strategy is based on four novel experimental achievements:First, the control from the GHz to sub-Hz regime of the interdot tunnel coupling at the nanosecond timescale.Second, the separation of the spin-to-charge conversion and the charge read-out in the voltage gate space.Third, the suppression of spin relaxation process during the read-out procedure.Finally, the repetition of three distinct spin-to-charge conversion protocols.The read-out procedure is tested on various initialized populations and implemented in more complex spin manipulation sequences to assess its validity.

•Jan 16, 2023•0 citations

Real-Time Feedback Control of Charge Sensing for Quantum Dot Qubits

Takashi Nakajima, Yohei Kojima, Yoshihiro Uehara +4 more

Measuring electrical charge with single-electron resolution is essential for implementing spin qubits in semiconductor quantum dots. Applying quantum dot charge sensors in larger-scale quantum computing devices is being held back because these sensors are easily affected by environmental disturbances, and thus require elaborate tune-up. This study uses a feedback control circuit implemented on a field-programmable gate array to maintain sensor performance in the face of capacitive crosstalk and charge noise. The technique enables rapid tune-up of quantum dot devices and reliable single-shot electron or spin measurement, and will advance the development of large-scale spin-qubit devices.

arXiv:2103.15258•Physical Review Applied•Mar 26, 2021•26 citations

Improved Single-Shot Qubit Readout Using Twin rf-SET Charge Correlations

Santiago Serrano, MengKe Feng, Wee Han Lim +11 more

High-fidelity qubit readout is critical in order to obtain the thresholds needed to implement quantum error-correction protocols and achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing. Large-scale silicon qubit devices will have densely packed arrays of quantum dots with multiple charge sensors that are, on average, farther away from the quantum dots, entailing a reduction in readout fidelities. Here, we present a readout technique that enhances the readout fidelity in a linear SiMOS four-dot array by amplifying correlations between a pair of single-electron transistors, known as a twin SET. By recording and subsequently correlating the twin SET traces as we modulate the dot detuning across a charge transition, we demonstrate a reduction in the charge readout infidelity by over one order of magnitude compared to traditional readout methods. We also study the spin-to-charge conversion errors introduced by the modulation technique and conclude that faster modulation frequencies avoid relaxation-induced errors without introducing significant spin-flip errors, favoring the use of the technique at short integration times. This method not only allows for faster and higher-fidelity qubit measurements but it also enhances the signal corresponding to charge transitions that take place farther away from the sensors, enabling a way to circumvent the reduction in readout fidelities in large arrays of qubits. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

arXiv:2307.07724•PRX Quantum•Jan 3, 2024•7 citations
The spin of a single electron in a semiconductor quantum dot provides a well-controlled and long-lived qubit implementation. The electron charge in turn allows control of the position of individual electrons in a quantum dot array, and enables charge sensors to probe the charge configuration. Here we show that the Coulomb repulsion allows an initial charge transition to induce subsequent charge transitions, inducing a cascade of electron hops, like toppling dominoes. A cascade can transmit information along a quantum dot array over a distance that extends by far the effect of the direct Coulomb repulsion. We demonstrate that a cascade of electrons can be combined with Pauli spin blockade to read out distant spins and show results with potential for high fidelity using a remote charge sensor in a quadruple quantum dot device. We implement and analyse several operating modes for cascades and analyse their scaling behaviour. We also discuss the application of cascade-based spin readout to densely-packed two-dimensional quantum dot arrays with charge sensors placed at the periphery. The high connectivity of such arrays greatly improves the capabilities of quantum dot systems for quantum computation and simulation.
Abstract The spin of a single electron in a semiconductor quantum dot provides a well-controlled and long-lived qubit implementation. The electron charge in turn allows control of the position of individual electrons in a quantum dot array, and enables charge sensors to probe the charge configuration. Here we show that the Coulomb repulsion allows an initial charge transition to induce subsequent charge transitions, inducing a cascade of electron hops, like toppling dominoes. A cascade can transmit information along a quantum dot array over a distance that extends by far the effect of the direct Coulomb repulsion. We demonstrate that a cascade of electrons can be combined with Pauli spin blockade to read out distant spins and show results with potential for high fidelity using a remote charge sensor in a quadruple quantum dot device. We implement and analyse several operating modes for cascades and analyse their scaling behaviour. We also discuss the application of cascade-based spin readout to densely-packed two-dimensional quantum dot arrays with charge sensors placed at the periphery. The high connectivity of such arrays greatly improves the capabilities of quantum dot systems for quantum computation and simulation.
Electron cotunneling in semiconductor quantum dots is a higher-order tunneling mechanism that connects initial and final charge states through energetically inaccessible virtual intermediate configurations. In quantum-dot arrays, such processes can produce simultaneous charge motion across multiple tunnel junctions and enable transitions that would otherwise be suppressed by Coulomb blockade. Here, building on an earlier proof-of-principle demonstration, we investigate radio-frequency (rf)-driven correlated cotunneling and its application to dispersive quantum-dot readout. Using both theoretical modeling and experimental measurements in two different foundry-fabricated silicon devices, we show that an external rf drive can induce correlated cyclic single-electron transitions, resulting in enhanced charge-polarization of the system. We develop a general theoretical framework for rf electron-cascade readout, which exploits cotunneling events in quantum-dot systems with three or more dots to produce a relative signal enhancement, and extend its experimental demonstration to a gate-sensed device architecture. Our results establish the operating principles of rf electron-cascade readout and provide a route to increased dispersive readout fidelity in semiconductor quantum computing architectures.
Semiconductor quantum dot arrays are a promising platform to perform spin-based error-corrected quantum computation with large numbers of qubits. However, due to the diverging number of possible charge configurations combined with the limited sensitivity of large-footprint charge sensors, achieving single-spin occupancy in each dot in a growing quantum dot array is exceedingly complex. Therefore, to scale-up a spin-based architecture we must change how individual charges are readout and controlled. Here, we demonstrate single-spin occupancy of each dot in a foundry-fabricated array by combining two methods. 1/ Loading a finite number of electrons into the quantum dot array; simplifying electrostatic tuning by isolating the array from the reservoirs. 2/ Deploying multiplex gate-based reflectometry to dispersively probe charge tunneling and spin states without charge sensors or reservoirs. Our isolated arrays probed by embedded multiplex readout can be readily electrostatically tuned. They are thus a viable, scalable approach for spin-based quantum architectures. Large-footprint, low-sensitivity charge sensors hinder scaling semiconductor quantum dot arrays for quantum computation. Here the authors present a potentially scalable approach using multiplexed gate-based readout and operation in a foundry-fabricated quantum dot array, demonstrating single-electron occupancy.
Spin qubits in semiconductor quantum circuits have been identified as a compelling platform for large scale quantum computing. Today an ongoing effort of the community is aiming at the scaling of such systems by filling larger and larger arrays. In this context the development of tuning and readout protocols allowing to reduce the inherent complexity of such systems seems to be a necessity.In the first part of my thesis, I demonstrate array partitioning of a linear triple quantum dot defined in a AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure via a highly tunable interdot tunnel coupling. This allows us to operate independently smaller sections of the array which reduces the number of available charge states for the system and therefore reduces its complexity during the tuning.The second part of my thesis is focused on reducing the hardware overhead necessary to extract information during the readout of the spin qubits. In semiconductor spin qubits, high fidelity read-out is obtained through Pauli spin blockade in a double quantum dot with two electrons probed by a local electrometer. One electron is the qubit, the second is the ancilla and only one bit of information is extracted. To obtain the full two-bit information of the two-electron spin states, more quantum hardware is necessary (either dots, electrometers, or reservoirs).Based on an original protocol, I develop in this thesis a complete single-shot read-out procedure for two-electron spin states in a double quantum dot discriminating between S, T0, T+ and T-. It uses successively three distinct spin-to-charge conversion protocols interleaved with charge configuration measurements. The strategy is based on four novel experimental achievements:First, the control from the GHz to sub-Hz regime of the interdot tunnel coupling at the nanosecond timescale.Second, the separation of the spin-to-charge conversion and the charge read-out in the voltage gate space.Third, the suppression of spin relaxation process during the read-out procedure.Finally, the repetition of three distinct spin-to-charge conversion protocols.The read-out procedure is tested on various initialized populations and implemented in more complex spin manipulation sequences to assess its validity.
Measuring electrical charge with single-electron resolution is essential for implementing spin qubits in semiconductor quantum dots. Applying quantum dot charge sensors in larger-scale quantum computing devices is being held back because these sensors are easily affected by environmental disturbances, and thus require elaborate tune-up. This study uses a feedback control circuit implemented on a field-programmable gate array to maintain sensor performance in the face of capacitive crosstalk and charge noise. The technique enables rapid tune-up of quantum dot devices and reliable single-shot electron or spin measurement, and will advance the development of large-scale spin-qubit devices.
High-fidelity qubit readout is critical in order to obtain the thresholds needed to implement quantum error-correction protocols and achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing. Large-scale silicon qubit devices will have densely packed arrays of quantum dots with multiple charge sensors that are, on average, farther away from the quantum dots, entailing a reduction in readout fidelities. Here, we present a readout technique that enhances the readout fidelity in a linear SiMOS four-dot array by amplifying correlations between a pair of single-electron transistors, known as a twin SET. By recording and subsequently correlating the twin SET traces as we modulate the dot detuning across a charge transition, we demonstrate a reduction in the charge readout infidelity by over one order of magnitude compared to traditional readout methods. We also study the spin-to-charge conversion errors introduced by the modulation technique and conclude that faster modulation frequencies avoid relaxation-induced errors without introducing significant spin-flip errors, favoring the use of the technique at short integration times. This method not only allows for faster and higher-fidelity qubit measurements but it also enhances the signal corresponding to charge transitions that take place farther away from the sensors, enabling a way to circumvent the reduction in readout fidelities in large arrays of qubits. Published by the American Physical Society 2024