Microwave-Frequency Scanning Gate Microscopy of a Si/SiGe Double Quantum Dot

Abstract

Conventional transport methods provide quantitative information on spin, orbital, and valley states in quantum dots but lack spatial resolution. Scanning tunneling microscopy, on the other hand, provides exquisite spatial resolution at the expense of speed. Working to combine the spatial resolution and energy sensitivity of scanning probe microscopy with the speed of microwave measurements, we couple a metallic tip to a Si/SiGe double quantum dot (DQD) that is integrated with a charge detector. We first demonstrate that the dc-biased tip can be used to change the occupancy of the DQD. We then apply microwaves through the tip to drive photon-assisted tunneling (PAT). We infer the DQD level diagram from the frequency and detuning dependence of the tunneling resonances. These measurements allow the resolution of ∼65 μeV excited states, an energy consistent with valley splittings in Si/SiGe. This work demonstrates the feasibility of scanning gate experiments with Si/SiGe devices.

Keywords: atomic force microscopy; charge sensing; photon-assisted tunneling; quantum dots; scanning gate microscopy; silicon germanium.