Quantum Future for Silicon Nanoelectronics

Institute of Microengineering - Distinguished Lecture

Campus Lausanne SV 1717 (live)
Campus Microcity MC B0 302 (video)
Zoom Live Stream: https://epfl.zoom.us/j/982557518

Abstract: Silicon transistors are the building blocks of digital electronics. Following decades of uninterrupted development, they have become smaller and smaller, meeting the demand for faster and faster operational speed. Today’s smallest transistors have reached characteristic sizes close to 10 nm. Despite this extreme miniaturization, the physics laws governing their operation remain essentially classical. While this holds for usual operating conditions, new scenarios open up at very low temperature (i.e. below a few degrees Kelvin) due to the emergence of quantum phenomena.
On the one hand, silicon transistors can still function as such and even exhibit an enhanced switching performance. While the underlying physics and the role of quantum effects remain to be fully understood, this enables the possibility of realizing electronic circuits with reduced power consumption that can be integrated in a cryogenic setup. On the other hand, below ~1 degree Kelvin silicon transistors can also be turned into devices capable of encoding elementary bits of quantum information, so-called qubits, through the spin state of localized electronic charges. This possibility may enable the realization of scalable quantum processors capable of outperforming classical processors on certain types of computational tasks.
In Grenoble, the Quantum Silicon Group (https://www.quantumsilicon-grenoble.eu), is exploring these opportunities. Following a brief introduction to the field, I will present our research progress as well as our vision for large-scale quantum processors based on silicon technology.

Bio: Dr. Silvano De Franceschi is an expert in quantum nanoelectronics and experimental mesoscopic physics. He received his PhD in 1999 at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa and, since 2007, he owns a position of staff scientist at the Institute for Nanoscience and Cryogenics. In 2005 he was awarded the Nicholas Kurti European Prize for his achievements in the field of quantum transport and, in particular, his works on the Kondo effect in quantum dots and on hybrid normal/superconductor nanostructures. He obtained an ERC Consolidator Grant (2012-2017), as well as a Chaire d’Excellence “Juniors” (2007-2011) and a Jeunes Chercheuses et Jeunes Chercheurs Grant (2008-2013) from the French Agency for Research. At present, his research activity is largely concentrating on the development of silicon-based devices for quantum information processing. He is co-leading the Grenoble Quantum Silicon Group (http://quantumsilicon-grenoble.eu), he has been coordinating the EU ICT project MOS-QUITO (MOS-based Quantum Information TechnOlogy), and he is one of the three PIs in the ERC Synergy project QuCube.

Note: The Seminar Series is eligible for ECTS credits in the EDMI doctoral program