Unraveling the Atomic Features of Topological Qubits

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This collaborative project aims at elucidating the atomic structure of the emerging topological qubits and optimizing their properties. These systematic studies will combine atom probe tomography (APT) and interface engineering in hybrid semiconductor-superconductor large spin-orbit PbSnTe nanowires grown at variable content. APT is the only method capable of dissecting on a 3-D atom-by-atom basis single nanostructures and devices at near-atomic resolution. The ability to access these insights is critical to improving the theoretical models, predicting the performance of individual qubits, and evaluating any fluctuation in their behavior that may impact the scaling to large qubit arrays. Establishing a feedback loop between the growth of PbSnTe-based new material systems, their quantum transport characteristics, and their atomic-scale 3-D compositional maps are crucial to accelerating the optimization of their epitaxial growth to eventually achieve high-quality interfaces. This knowledge will enable the modeling of topological qubits with realistic representations of the fabricated interfaces. Addressing these challenges will create new frontiers in quantum materials research and facilitate key functionalities such as efficient quantum control and long coherence.