Quadra-quantum dots and related patterns of quantum dot molecules: Basic nanostructures for quantum dot cellular automata application

Abstract

Laterally close-packed quantum dots (QDs) called quantum dot molecules (QDMs) are grown using a modified molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) method. Quantum dots may be aligned and cross hatched. Quantum rings (QRs) created from quantum dot transformation during thin or partial capping are used as templates for the formations of bi-quantum dot molecules (Bi-QDMs) and quantum dot rings (QDRs). The preferable quantum dot nanostructure for quantum computation based on quantum dot cellular automata (QCA) is laterally close-packed quantum dot molecules having four quantum dots at the corners of square configuration. These four quantum dot sets are called quadra-quantum dots (QQDs). Aligned quadra-quantum dots with two electron confinements work like a wire for digital information transmission using the Coulomb repulsion force, which is fast and consumes little power. A combination of quadra-quantum dots in line and cross-over works as logic gates and memory bits. A molecular Beam Epitaxial growth technique called "Droplet Epitaxy" has been developed for several quantum nanostructures such as quantum rings and quantum dot rings. Quantum rings are prepared by using 20 ML In-Ga (15:85) droplets deposited on a GaAs substrate at 390°C with a droplet growth rate of 1ML/s. Arsenic flux (7-8×10-6Torr) is then exposed for InGaAs crystallization at 200°C for 5 min. During droplet epitaxy at a high droplet thickness and high temperature, out-diffusion from the centre of droplets occurs under anisotropic strain. This leads to quantum ring structures having non-uniform ring stripes and deep square-shaped nanoholes. Using these peculiar quantum rings as templates, four quantum dots situated at the corners of a square shape are regrown. Two of these four quantum dots are aligned either [110] or [110], which are preferable crystallographic directions of quantum dot alignment in general.