Nanoscale single-electron box with a floating lead for quantum sensing: Modeling and device characterization

Abstract

We present an in-depth analysis of a single-electron box (SEB) biased through a floating node technique that is common in charge-coupled devices. The device is analyzed and characterized in the context of single-electron charge sensing techniques for integrated silicon quantum dots (QD). The unique aspect of our SEB design is the incorporation of a metallic floating node, strategically employed for sensing and precise injection of electrons into an electrostatically formed QD. To analyze the SEB, we propose an extended multi-orbital Anderson impurity model (MOAIM), adapted to our nanoscale SEB system, that is used to predict theoretically the behavior of the SEB in the context of a charge sensing application. The validation of the model and the sensing technique has been carried out on a QD fabricated in a fully depleted silicon on insulator process (FD-SOI) on a 22-nm CMOS technology node. We demonstrate the MOAIM's efficacy in predicting the observed electronic behavior and elucidating the complex electron dynamics and correlations in the SEB. The results of our study reinforce the versatility and precision of the model in the realm of nanoelectronics and highlight the practical utility of the metallic floating node as a mechanism for charge injection and detection in integrated QDs. Finally, we identify the limitations of our model in capturing higher order effects observed in our measurements and propose future outlooks to reconcile some of these discrepancies.