CAREER: Single-Electron Transistors as a Laboratory for Strongly-Correlated Electron Physics

在相关电子系统中，一个突出的挑战是建立一个任意有趣的哈密顿量的实验实现。传统上，材料物理学家对复杂材料进行定制，以达到理想的电子性能。目前项目的方法是互补的：不是开发新的和奇异的材料，而是使用性质简单且成熟的材料，例如gaas基半导体异质结构中的二维电子气体。然后使用纳米光刻技术将它们雕刻成任意结构的耦合电子液滴，设计成符合感兴趣的哈密顿量。最后，局部栅极上的电压可以用来调整每个重要的参数。该项目将设计纳米结构来显示新的多体基态，特别是由一对耦合电子液滴构建的双通道近藤系统。本科生将实质性地参与这项研究的每一个阶段，为研究生院或广泛的工业工作做好准备。此外，还将开设一门新课程，向学生传授纳米级电子的物理学知识。材料物理学家经常设计复杂的材料以达到期望的电子性能。目前项目的目标是相似的，但它的方法是互补的：而不是开发新的和外来的材料，与材料的性质简单和完善的工作。然后使用从半导体工业借来的工具将这些简单的材料雕刻成可以限制电子的复杂图案。多个超细金属线（直径20纳米，或比人类头发窄数千倍）可以用来移动受限制的电子，从而调整系统的电气行为。尽管初始材料很简单，但这种新颖的几何形状将产生前所未有的电子特性。本科生将实质性地参与这项研究的每一个阶段，为研究生院或广泛的工业工作做好准备。此外，还将开设一门新课程，向学生传授纳米级电子的物理学知识。

An outstanding challenge in correlated electron systems is to build an experimental realization of an arbitrary interesting Hamiltonian. Materials physicists traditionally tailor complex materials to achieve desired electronic properties. The present project's approach is complementary: instead of developing new and exotic materials, work with materials whose properties are simple and well-established, such as 2-dimensional electron gases in GaAs-based semiconductor heterostructures. Then use nanolithographyto carve them into arbitrary structures of coupled electron droplets, designed to match a Hamiltonian of interest. Finally, voltages on local gate electrodes can be used to tune every important parameter. This project will engineer nanostructures to display novel many-body ground states, notably a two-channel Kondo system built from a pair of coupled electron droplets. Undergraduates will be substantively involved in every stage of this research, preparing them for graduate school or a broad range of industrial jobs. In addition, a new course will be created to educate students about the physics of electrons at the nanoscale.%%%Materials physicists often design complex materials to achieve desired electronic properties. The present project's goal is similar, but its approach is complementary: instead of developing new and exotic materials,work with materials whose properties are simple and well-established. Then use tools borrowed from the semiconductor industry to carve these simple materials into complex patterns which can confine electrons. Multiple ultrafine metal wires (twenty nanometers in diameter, or thousands of times narrower than a human hair) can then be used to shift the confined electrons around and hence to tune the electrical behavior of the system. Despite the simple starting materials, the novel geometries will result in never-before-seen electronic properties. Undergraduates will be substantively involved in every stage of this research, preparing them for graduate school or a broad range of industrial jobs. In addition, a new course will be created to educate students about the physics of electrons at the nanoscale.