Unraveling the Atomic Features of Topological Qubits

这个合作项目旨在阐明新出现的拓扑量子比特的原子结构并优化它们的性质。这些系统的研究将结合原子探针层析成像(APT)和界面工程在不同含量生长的混合半导体-超导体大自旋轨道PbSnTe纳米线中进行。APT是唯一一种能够在近原子分辨率下逐个原子地解剖单个纳米结构和器件的方法。获得这些见解的能力对于改进理论模型、预测单个量子比特的性能以及评估它们行为中可能影响大型量子比特阵列缩放的任何波动都是至关重要的。在PbSnTe基新材料体系的生长、量子输运特性和原子尺度的三维成分图之间建立反馈回路，对于加速其外延生长的优化，最终获得高质量的界面至关重要。这一知识将使拓扑量子比特能够用所制造的界面的真实表示来建模。应对这些挑战将在量子材料研究中创造新的前沿，并促进有效的量子控制和长相干等关键功能。

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.