Amplifying quantum signals with the single-electron transistor

Transistors have continuously reduced in size and increased in switching speed since their invention in 1947. The exponential pace of transistor evolution has led to a revolution in information acquisition, processing and communication technologies. And reigning over most digital applications is a s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature (London) 2000-08, Vol.406 (6799), p.1039-1046
Main Authors: Schoelkopf, Robert J, Devoret, Michel H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computers
Electrons
Humanities and Social Sciences
Information technology
multidisciplinary
review-article
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
Transistors
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Summary:Transistors have continuously reduced in size and increased in switching speed since their invention in 1947. The exponential pace of transistor evolution has led to a revolution in information acquisition, processing and communication technologies. And reigning over most digital applications is a single device structure — the field-effect transistor (FET). But as device dimensions approach the nanometre scale, quantum effects become increasingly important for device operation, and conceptually new transistor structures may need to be adopted. A notable example of such a structure is the single-electron transistor, or SET 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 . Although it is unlikely that SETs will replace FETs in conventional electronics, they should prove useful in ultra-low-noise analog applications. Moreover, because it is not affected by the same technological limitations as the FET, the SET can approach closely the quantum limit of sensitivity. It might also be a useful read-out device for a solid-state quantum computer.
ISSN:0028-0836
1476-4687
DOI:10.1038/35023253