Quantum Technology Capital: Epitaxy Cluster Tool to Enable Next-Generation Quantum Dots for Quantum Technology Applications

量子技术资本：外延集群工具为量子技术应用提供下一代量子点

• 批准号: EP/N01488X/1
• 负责人: Maurice Skolnick
• 金额: $ 279.16万
• 依托单位: University of Sheffield
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2016 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FN01488X%2F1
• 关键词: Quantum; Technology; Capital; Epitaxy; Cluster

This is a proposal for advanced crystal growth equipment to enable the UK to take a lead in important areas of Quantum Technologies. It will enable the growth of nanometre-scale semiconductor quantum dots with world-leading properties. These properties include emission limited only by fundamental properties of the dots unaffected by the surrounding environment, and ordered arrays of dots, critical to enable scale-up and to translate the much excellent science of quantum dots to highly competitive Quantum Technologies. The Quantum Technology applications rely on purely quantum mechanical principles such as superposition, where a system can be in two states at the same time, and entanglement where an operation at one spatial location influences another remotely, without there being any direct connection between them. Quantum dots are extremely well suited to exploiting these quantum mechanical effects (sometimes termed 'Quantum 2'). The favourable properties of III-V semiconductor quantum dots include on-demand single and entangled photon emission, ready incorporation in cavities, very long coherence and compatibility with well-developed III-V semiconductor processing technology. III-V semiconductors are familiar in everyday life as the basis of light emitting diodes, internet data transmission, and laser disk storage to name just a few. Here we turn the favourable III-V properties to enable new applications in Quantum Technologies, including as sources for secure Quantum Cryptography, quantum relays for Quantum Communications, integrated entangled sources for Quantum Cryptography and sensing, and longer-term opportunities for memories and spin chains for Quantum Networks.The crystal growth equipment, an Epitaxy Cluster Tool, is comprised of two principal chambers, one dedicated solely to the growth of highest quality quantum dots, and the second to the advanced processing of structured templates for growth of arrays of dots with pre-determined location, enabling the realisation of very high brightness sources of single photons and of arrays essential for scale-up. The two principal chambers will be connected together by an automated loading, transfer and analysis chamber, enabling high throughput of the system, and furthermore ensuring that only highest cleanliness wafers are transferred to the ultrahigh purity chamber. The Cluster Tool constitutes an integrated suite of growth, analysis and processing features. It will provide the UK with unique experimental infrastructure to take a leading position in the translation of quantum-dot-based science into Quantum Technologies.

这是一项先进晶体生长设备的提案，旨在使英国能够在量子技术的重要领域处于领先地位。它将实现具有世界领先特性的纳米级半导体量子点的生长。这些特性包括发射仅受不受周围环境影响的点的基本特性限制，以及有序的点阵列，这对于实现规模化并将非常优秀的量子点科学转化为极具竞争力的量子技术至关重要。量子技术的应用依赖于纯粹的量子力学原理，例如叠加（系统可以同时处于两种状态）和纠缠（其中一个空间位置的操作远程影响另一个空间位置，而它们之间没有任何直接联系）。量子点非常适合利用这些量子力学效应（有时称为“量子 2”）。 III-V族半导体量子点的有利特性包括按需单光子和纠缠光子发射、易于并入腔体、非常长的相干性以及与成熟的III-V族半导体加工技术的兼容性。 III-V 族半导体在日常生活中很常见，是发光二极管、互联网数据传输和激光磁盘存储等的基础。在这里，我们利用有利的 III-V 特性来实现量子技术中的新应用，包括作为安全量子密码学的源、量子通信的量子继电器、量子密码学和传感的集成纠缠源，以及量子网络的存储器和自旋链的长期机会。晶体生长设备是一种外延簇工具，由两个主要室组成，其中一个专门用于生长最高质量的晶体。 其次是对结构化模板进行高级处理，用于在预定位置生长点阵列，从而实现单光子和放大所需的阵列的极高亮度源。两个主室将通过自动装载、转移和分析室连接在一起，从而实现系统的高吞吐量，并进一步确保只有最高清洁度的晶圆被转移到超高纯度室。集群工具构成了一套集成的增长、分析和处理功能。它将为英国提供独特的实验基础设施，以在将基于量子点的科学转化为量子技术方面占据领先地位。