Scanning Gate Microscopy of a 1D InAs/InP Nanowire Quantum Dot

ORAL

Abstract

One-dimensional (1D) nanowire quantum dots provide ideal systems to probe the quantum behavior of electrons. We study long, thin quantum dots (length $\sim $300nm, diameter $\sim $20nm) in an InAs/InP nanowire heterostructure. They provide an interesting system - the Coulomb blockade allows one to control the electron number and measure the energy of quantum states. The nanowire diameter is less than the Bohr radius, making nanowire dots 1D for modest electron numbers. Using a liquid-He cooled scanning gate microscope (SGM) [1], we image the nanowire's conductance as a function of tip position. The conducting SGM tip creates a movable gate to probe the system. We present conductance images of long dots, which use Coulomb blockade to probe the potential profile of the nanowire system and the effects of the metal/semiconductor contacts. \\[4pt] [1] A. Bleszynski-Jayich \textit{et. al} , Phys. Rev. B \textbf{77}, 245327 (2008).

*Supported by the NSEC at Harvard with NSF grant PHY-06-46094.

–

Authors

  • Erin E. Boyd

    • Dept of Physics, Harvard Univ

  • Halvar J. Trodahl

    • Harvard University
    • Dept of Physics, Harvard Univ

  • Robert Westervelt

    • Harvard Univ
    • Dept of Physics and Sch of Eng and App Sci, Harvard Univ
    • Harvard University

  • Kristian Nilsson

    • Dept of Solid State Physics, Lund Univ

  • Lars Samuelson

    • Solid State Physics/The Nanometer Structure Consortium, Lund University, Box 118, S-221 00, Lund, Sweden
    • Lund University, Solid State Physics, Box 118, 22100, Lund, Sweden
    • Dept of Solid State Physics, Lund Univ