Silicon Carbide Qubits with Transparent ITO Gates

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Solution Overview

Problem

Silicon carbide defect qubits require effective surface passivation and opto-electronic property tuning to preserve defect configurations and enable controlled quantum operations, which existing methods fail to adequately address.

Innovation Solution

The method involves constructing silicon carbide defect qubits through ion implantation and high-temperature annealing, integrating optically transparent indium tin oxide electrodes, and using atomic layer deposited silicon oxide for surface passivation to preserve vacancy configurations, allowing for electronic and opto-electronic gating to tune qubit properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional surface passivation methods are used, then surface protection is provided, but defect configurations are not preserved and opto-electronic property tuning is not enabled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedefect configuration preservationVSAvoidopto-electronic property tuning

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

A silicon oxide passivation layer is introduced as an intermediary between the silicon carbide defect qubit and the external environment. This layer preserves defect configurations by providing surface protection while allowing electronic and opto-electronic gating to tune qubit properties through the layer, thus enabling both reliability and adaptability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent enables tuning of opto-electronic properties by changing electrical parameters through electronic gating and optical parameters through opto-electronic gating. This allows dynamic adjustment of qubit properties such as transition frequencies and coherence times while maintaining defect configuration integrity through the passivation layer

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If opaque electrodes are used, then electrical contact is achieved, but optical transparency is blocked and photoluminescence detection is hindered

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveelectrical contactVSAvoidoptical transparency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSIllumination intensity

Solution Approach 1:

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is used as a composite transparent conducting oxide material that combines the electrical conductivity of metals with the optical transparency of oxides. This allows simultaneous achievement of reliable electrical contact for gating and optical transparency for photoluminescence detection and excitation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #40Composite materials

3Reliability

If surface passivation is applied, then defect protection is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface protectionVSAvoidfabrication process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

A thin silicon oxide film is deposited conformally on the silicon carbide surface using atomic layer deposition. This thin passivation layer provides effective surface protection and defect preservation while maintaining fabrication simplicity and avoiding excessive device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #30Flexible shells and thin films

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach effectively preserves the vacancy configurations, enables detectable photoluminescence signatures, and allows for tunable qubit properties, enhancing the coherence and control of quantum states in silicon carbide defect qubits.

Implementation Method 1

constructing silicon carbide defect qubits through ion implantation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectIon implantation: Ion Implantation

Implementation Method 2

high-temperature annealing to form vacancies

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAnnealing: Annealing

Implementation Method 3

atomic layer deposited silicon oxide for surface passivation

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectAtomic layer deposition: Deposition (physical)

Implementation Method 4

The photoluminescence (PL) signature of silicon vacancies is readily detected

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoluminescence: Photoluminescence

Data Source

PatentUS10262871B1Formation of field-tunable silicon carbide defect qubits with optically transparent electrodes and silicon oxide surface passivation

Publication Date: 2019.04.16 THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

AI summary

A method includes depositing a layer of silicon oxide onto a layer of silicon carbide; ion implanting the layer of silicon carbide, annealing the ion implanted layer of silicon carbide to produce defects within the layer of silicon carbide, performing photolithography using a mask layer on regions of the layer of silicon carbide to define regions for electrode deposition, removing the layer of silicon oxide from the layer of silicon carbide in the one or more regions for electrode deposition, forming one or more electrodes by depositing indium tin oxide (ITO) in each of the regions for electrode deposition, performing a first lift-off operation to remove the mask layer surrounding the electrodes, depositing a passivation and gate silicon oxide layer on top of the layer of silicon carbide and the electrodes, and performing a second lift-off operation to fabricate an optically transparent ITO gate between the electrodes.