Realization of ZnSe-based Field-Effect Transistors operating at Cryogenic Temperatures as a Platform for Future Spin-Qubit Applications
Abstract
The wide-bandgap compound semiconductor ZnSe is a promising host material for the realization of electron spin-qubits. Its non-degenerate conduction band and the potential for isotopic nuclear spin purification promise long spin coherence times. Key requirements for such devices include reliable electrostatic control of electrons in ZnSe and low-resistance ohmic contacts that remain functional at cryogenic temperatures. In this work, we utilize a novel Shadow Wall technique for molecular-beam epitaxy combined with in-situ deposition of Al ohmic contacts to realize normally-off ZnSe-based field-effect transistors. The devices exhibit linear output characteristics and effective gate control of the channel from room temperature down to 5 K, confirming low-resistance ohmic contacts to the undoped ZnSe channel. The drain current can be modulated by several orders of magnitude through electrostatic gating, with threshold voltages of approximately 3 V and field-effect mobilities exceeding 100 cm2/Vs over the investigated temperature range. Self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson and drift-diffusion simulations reproduce the measured transfer characteristics and provide insight into the role of interface electrostatics in determining the channel formation and threshold voltage. These results demonstrate the potential of gated ZnSe heterostructures for future spin-qubit applications.
Related
- Compact Modeling of Oxide-Semiconductor, 2D Material, Carbon Nanotube, and Cryogenic Transistors with Experiment Verification
- Optical Detection of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion via Frequency Tracking at Cryogenic Temperatures
- Programmable CMOS DAC Operating in Cryogenic Environments for Controlling Superconducting Qubits
- Strain engineering of transient exciton diffusion in WSe2 monolayers at cryogenic temperatures
- All-photonic millimeter-wave and terahertz signal core at room and cryogenic temperatures
BibTeX
@misc{falter2026realization,
title = {{Realization of ZnSe-based Field-Effect Transistors operating at Cryogenic Temperatures as a Platform for Future Spin-Qubit Applications}},
author = {Christine Falter and Yurii Kutovyi and Nils von den Driesch and Denny Dütz and Nataliya Demarina and Prateek Kaul and Anjana Rajan and Jiayuan Zhang and Thomas J. Smart and Leqi Zhou and Lidia Kibkalo and András Kovács and Qing-Tai Zhao and Lars R. Schreiber and Alexander Pawlis},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.39521},
eprint = {2609.39521},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39521},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Realization of ZnSe-based Field-Effect Transistors operating at Cryogenic Temperatures as a Platform for Future Spin-Qubit Applications
AU - Christine Falter
AU - Yurii Kutovyi
AU - Nils von den Driesch
AU - Denny Dütz
AU - Nataliya Demarina
AU - Prateek Kaul
AU - Anjana Rajan
AU - Jiayuan Zhang
AU - Thomas J. Smart
AU - Leqi Zhou
AU - Lidia Kibkalo
AU - András Kovács
AU - Qing-Tai Zhao
AU - Lars R. Schreiber
AU - Alexander Pawlis
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.39521
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.39521
AB - The wide-bandgap compound semiconductor ZnSe is a promising host material for the realization of electron spin-qubits. Its non-degenerate conduction band and the potential for isotopic nuclear spin purification promise long spin coherence times. Key requirements for such devices include reliable electrostatic control of electrons in ZnSe and low-resistance ohmic contacts that remain functional at cryogenic temperatures. In this work, we utilize a novel Shadow Wall technique for molecular-beam epitaxy combined with in-situ deposition of Al ohmic contacts to realize normally-off ZnSe-based field-effect transistors. The devices exhibit linear output characteristics and effective gate control of the channel from room temperature down to 5 K, confirming low-resistance ohmic contacts to the undoped ZnSe channel. The drain current can be modulated by several orders of magnitude through electrostatic gating, with threshold voltages of approximately 3 V and field-effect mobilities exceeding 100 cm2/Vs over the investigated temperature range. Self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson and drift-diffusion simulations reproduce the measured transfer characteristics and provide insight into the role of interface electrostatics in determining the channel formation and threshold voltage. These results demonstrate the potential of gated ZnSe heterostructures for future spin-qubit applications.
ER -