Quantum Fluctuations and Coherence in High-Precision Single-Electron Capture

Abstract

The phase of a single quantum state is undefined unless the history of its creation provides a reference point. Thus, quantum interference may seem hardly relevant for the design of deterministic single-electron sources which strive to isolate individual charge carriers quickly and completely. We provide a counterexample by analyzing the nonadiabatic separation of a localized quantum state from a Fermi sea due to a closing tunnel barrier. We identify the relevant energy scales and suggest ways to separate the contributions of quantum nonadiabatic excitation and back tunneling to the rare noncapture events. In the optimal regime of balanced decay and nonadiabaticity, our simple electron trap turns into a single-lead Landau-Zener back tunneling interferometer, revealing the dynamical phase accumulated between the particle capture and leakage. The predicted "quantum beats in back tunneling" may turn the error of a single-electron source into a valuable signal revealing essentially nonadiabatic energy scales of a dynamic quantum dot.