Abstract
The metrology community lately has adopted the long-term aim of basing the SI unit system on fundamental constants of nature. The base electrical unit, the ampere, will then be re-defined in terms of a fixed value of the elementary charge e. The most direct realization of the new ampere definition requires controlling the number of electrons which flow in a unit time interval, and of counting the errors occurring in this process of clocking single electrons. State of the art nanofabrication technology allows the fabrication of single-electron transport devices - known as single-electron pumps - which generate electric current by moving electrons one at a time. These devices are capable of delivering currents of about 100 pA with an accuracy at the 1 part per million level. Also, ultrasensitive single-electron detectors have been explored that allow electric charge detection on a resolution level below e. The European Joint Research Project presented here, undertaken by a consortium of several research institutes, aims at further developing the best existing concepts of single-electron pumps and to combine them with single-electron detectors for creating highly accurate quantum current sources, to be used as future current standards. Furthermore, necessary current measurement instrumentation will be developed. The paper comprises the project aims and the main results achieved so far.
Highlights
A globally consistent system of measurement units is a necessary underpinning feature of most technological, industrial and economic activities
State of the art nanofabrication technology allows the fabrication of single-electron transport devices - known as single-electron pumps - which generate electric current by moving electrons one at a time
State of the art nanofabrication technology allows the fabrication of single-electron transport (SET) devices - known as SET pumps - which generate electric current by moving electrons one at a time in a controllable way at sufficiently high speed and accuracy [3, 4]
Summary
A globally consistent system of measurement units is a necessary underpinning feature of most technological, industrial and economic activities. In 1990, the dilemma with the classical ampere definition led to the adoption of a practical unit system based on voltage and resistance standards - represented by the definition of ‘conventional values’ for the von-Klitzing and Josephson constants which is decoupled from the SI Because of these flaws, the highest global metrology authority, the Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (CIPM), has proposed that the ampere be re-defined in terms of the fundamental constant e, the charge on the electron [1, 2]. State of the art nanofabrication technology allows the fabrication of single-electron transport (SET) devices - known as SET pumps - which generate electric current by moving electrons one at a time in a controllable way at sufficiently high speed and accuracy [3, 4] They provide frequency to current conversion, I = eڄf, by rapid. Ultrasensitive single-electron detectors, based on nanofabricated electrical circuits of different kinds, have been explored that allow electric charge detection on a resolution level below e
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