Single-Electron Transistor Spectroscopy of InGaAs Self-Assembled Quantum Dots

Published

January 1, 2004

Author(s)

Kevin Osborn, Mark W. Keller, Richard Mirin

Abstract

A single-electron transistor is used to detect tunneling of single electrons into self-assembled InGaAs quantum dots. Aluminum single-electron transistors (SETs) are fabricated over an MBE-grown structure containing quantum dots (QDs) and an underlying n-doped layer. By using a SET with a small island area (2 × 10^-2 υm²), and growing QDs with an appropriate density (1 × 10¹⁰ cm²), we are able distinguish and measure three QDs. At specific voltages applied to the n-doped layer and gate, a single electron is tunneled into a QD. The SET detects two tunneling events per dot, depend on the Coulomb interaction and the energy of the unoccupied electron level. Capacitances to the QD are extracted. The single-electron spectrum is compared to conventional capacitance spectroscopy results on the same wafer, which measures a large ensemble of QDs.

Citation

Physica E-Low-Dimensional Systems & Nanostructures

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

quantum dot, single-electron transistor, InGaAs, self-assembled

Citation

Osborn, K. , Keller, M. and Mirin, R. (2004), Single-Electron Transistor Spectroscopy of InGaAs Self-Assembled Quantum Dots, Physica E-Low-Dimensional Systems & Nanostructures, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=31391 (Accessed October 8, 2025)