Towards the quantum noise limit in semiconductor microwave amplifiers: a study of hot electron noise

非技术类：半导体微波放大器广泛应用于科学技术领域。它们被广泛使用，从探测暗物质等基础科学到识别危险化学品等应用。由于它们在检测电路的开始运行，放大器通常是限制这些技术灵敏度的主要因素。PI将从实验和理论两方面研究微波放大器中的量子噪声源。关于如何降低噪音的预测将通过定制设备的设计和特性进行实验测试。这项工作的目标是将微波放大器中的噪声降低到最大限度的变革性进展。技术：该项目将使用数字工具的进步和定制器件的表征来研究高电子迁移率晶体管中电子噪声的精确微观来源。由于散射和其他机制引起的波动，半导体器件中的电子噪声必须得到缓解，才能使半导体放大器接近量子噪声极限，但在单个电子态和振动态水平上的微观细节一直无法获得。调查人员将在这样的尺度上使用对载体传输的理论和数字描述，以定量地确定各种传输过程对噪声的贡献以及如何减轻这些贡献。从这类研究中获得的关于如何通过修改设备架构来降低噪音的预测，将使用定制设备的特性直接进行实验测试。该项目还将对学生进行微波电子技术方面的培训，该技术目前对量子硬件工程的需求很高，例如量子计算机。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Nontechnical:Semiconductor microwave amplifiers are widely used in science and technology. They are widely used, ranging from fundamental science such as the detection of dark matter to applications such as the identification of hazardous chemicals. As they operate at the beginning of the detection circuit, amplifiers are often the main factor limiting the sensitivity of these technologies. The PI will investigate the sources of quantum noise in microwave amplifiers by experiment and theory. Predictions of how noise can be decreased will be experimentally tested through design and characterization of custom devices. The aim of this work is a transformative advance towards reducing noise in microwave amplifiers to the ultimate limit.Technical:This project will investigate the precise microscopic origins of electronic noise in high electron mobility transistors using advances in numerical tools and characterization of custom devices. Electron noise in semiconductor devices, arising from fluctuations due to scattering and other mechanisms, must be mitigated for semiconductor amplifiers to approach the quantum noise limit but the microscopic details at the level of individual electronic and vibrational states have been inaccessible. Investigators will employ theoretical and numerical descriptions of carrier transport at such scales to quantitatively identify the contributions of diverse transport processes to noise and how they may be mitigated. Predictions of how noise can be decreased by modifications of device architecture obtained from such studies will be directly experimentally tested using characterization of custom devices. This project will also train students in the microwave electronic technology that is presently in high demand for engineering of quantum hardware such as quantum computers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.