Quantum-inspired current superposition and collapse in gate-all-around and planar-gated silicon-based transistors
Advanced Materials, 2301206 (2023)
Inspired by the quantum collapse of superposition states for information decoding in quantum circuits, the implementation of analogous current path collapse to facilitate the detection of microscopic circuits by modifying their network topology is explored. Here, the superposition and collapse of current paths in gate-all-around polysilicon nanosheet arrays are demonstrated to enrich the computational resources within transistors by engineering the channel length and quantity. Switching the ferroelectric polarization of Hf0.5Zr0.5O2 gate dielectric, which drives these transistors out-of-equilibrium, decodes the output polymorphism through circuit topological modifications. Furthermore, a protocol for the single-electron readout of ferroelectric polarization is presented with tailoring the channel coherence. The introduction of lateral path superposition results into intriguing metal-to-insulator transitions due to transient behavior of ferroelectric switching. This ability to adjust the current networks within transistors and their interaction with ferroelectric polarization in polycrystalline nanostructures lays the groundwork for generating diverse current characteristics as potential physical databases for optimization-based computing.
Control of coherent spin dynamics via superposition of spin-orbit-induced magnetic fields
Nature Communications 8, 15997 (2017)
We demonstrate that the spatial spin splitting of a coherent beam of electrons can be achieved and controlled using the interplay between an external magnetic field and Rashba spin–orbit interaction in semiconductor nanostructures. The technique of transverse magnetic focusing is used to detect this spin separation. More notably, our ability to engineer the spin–orbit interactions enables us to simultaneously manipulate and probe the coherent spin dynamics of both spin species and hence their correlation, which could open a route towards spintronics and spin-based quantum information processing.
Semiconducting pn diode from interplay of semiconducting WSe2 and ferroelectric BiFeO3
Nature Communications 9, 3143 (2018)
By utilizing a locally reversed ferroelectric polarization, we laterally manipulate the carrier density and created a WSe2 pn homojunction on the supporting ferroelectric BiFeO3 substrate. This non-volatile WSe2 pn homojunction is demonstrated with optical and scanning probe methods and scanning photoelectron microspectroscopy. A homo-interface is a direct manifestation of our WSe2 pn diode, which can be quantitatively understood as a clear rectifying behavior. The non-volatile confinement of carriers and associated gate-free pn homojunction can be an addition to the 2D electron–photon toolbox and pave the way to develop laterally 2D electronics and photonics.
Superconducting diode from interplay of GaAs-based 2DEG and aluminum superconducting nanofilm
Scientific Reports 3, 2274 (2013)
We have studied a hybrid nanoelectronic system which consists of an GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in close proximity (∼ 70 nm) to an Al superconducting nanofilm. By tuning the current through the Al film, we can change the conductance of the 2DEG and furthermore vary the effective disorder in the Al superconducting film in a controllable way. When a high current is injected into the film, screening which couples the Al film and the 2DEG results in a collapse of anti-symmetric behavior in the current-voltage characteristics, V(I) ∼ –V(-I), which holds true in a conventional superconductor. Our results may open a new avenue of experimentally realizing a superconducting diode.