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Coherent Time Evolution of a Single-Electron Wave Function

M. Kataoka, M. R. Astley, A. L. Thorn, D. K. L. Oi, C. H. W. Barnes, C. J. B. Ford, D. Anderson, G. A. C. Jones, I. Farrer, D. A. Ritchie, and M. Pepper
Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 156801 – Published 13 April 2009

Abstract

Observation of coherent single-electron dynamics is severely limited by experimental bandwidth. We present a method to overcome this using moving quantum dots defined by surface acoustic waves. Each dot holds a single electron, and travels through a static potential landscape. When the dot passes abruptly between regions of different confinement, the electron is excited into a superposition of states, and oscillates unitarily from side to side. We detect these oscillations by using a weak, repeated measurement of the current across a tunnel barrier, and find close agreement with simulations.

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  • Received 27 November 2008

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.156801

©2009 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Kataoka1, M. R. Astley1,2, A. L. Thorn1, D. K. L. Oi3, C. H. W. Barnes1, C. J. B. Ford1, D. Anderson1, G. A. C. Jones1, I. Farrer1, D. A. Ritchie1, and M. Pepper1,2

  • 1Cavendish Laboratory, J J Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom
  • 2Toshiba Research Europe Limited, 208 Cambridge Science Park, Cambridge CB4 0GZ, United Kingdom
  • 3SUPA, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G4 0NG, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 102, Iss. 15 — 17 April 2009

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