Thursday, May 8, 2025

4:00pm-5:00pm 

Using Scanning Tunneling Microscopes for Quantum Device Fabrication

Quantum devices are rapidly transitioning from things of physical and academic interest to serious and practical tools for quantum computing and sensing. Donor-based quantum devices are highly advantageous for both of these applications due to their availability of nuclear spins, but present significant fabrication challenges that require atomically precise deposition of a few atoms. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has emerged as an extremely powerful tool for fabricating these devices, and many examples of devices created using atomic precision advanced manufacturing (APAM) exist in the literature. However, the power of STM in this area goes beyond simple fabrication. The ability to monitor the process of lithography in-situ allows for real-time feedback on the creation of a device. Furthermore, the ability to monitor chemical changes during processing allows for the development of novel methods and chemistries for quantum devices. New spectroscopic techniques have also unlocked new ways of characterizing surface species while discovering hidden impediments to high device yields. An STM, when properly used as fabrication tool, chemical observer, and electrical instrument, is an extremely powerful scientific tool for studying the next generation of quantum devices.