Zyvex Labs awarded new DOE program with NIST, U. Maryland
On January 26, 2023, Zyvex Labs was awarded a DOE Basic Sciences program that will enable a new experimental path to explore Nuclear Physics. Working with sub-contractors, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), we will expand the usefulness of our Atomic Precision patterning that is already being used to create Analog Quantum Simulator (AQS) devices to study Condensed Matter Physics. In this new program we will study Nuclear Physics with AQS devices designed to enable applications in Gauge Field Theories. Gauge Field Theories are the mathematical framework underlying three of the four fundamental forces in Nature, and are hence responsible for a range of Nuclear Physics phenomena.
Zyvex Labs and NIST have a well-established collaboration focused on atomically precise fabrication of single- or few-atom quantum devices based on buried dopant arrays that NIST is using to make solid-state AQS devices. The solid-state AQS devices are complementary to the cold atom and ion trap array AQS efforts and have some significant advantages over these techniques in that they can cover important portions of the experimental parameter space not accessible to the cold atom and ion trap arrays. While Quantum Computing will eventually be able to explore condensed matter and nuclear physics more thoroughly, the Universal Quantum Computers with millions of logical qubits required for these tasks may be at least a decade away.
Zyvex Labs Dr. James H.G. Owen as Principal Investigator, will work primarily on the atomic precision fabrication techniques in support of NIST; Dr. Richard Silver Co-PI, will make and measure the AQS devices. UMD, Prof. Zohreh Davoudi Co-PI, has key expertise in both the fundamental theory of Nuclear Physics and the co-design of AQS of lattice gauge theories. In this collaborative project between industry, government, and academia, experimentalists and theorists will work together closely to efficiently utilize near-term quantum hardware to enable a high-impact technology, and advance Nuclear Physics through a promising solid-state AQS platform.
Moheimani wins IFAC’s “Industrial Achievement Award”
We are extremely proud to call attention to Reza Moheimani for having been awarded the “Industrial Achievement Award” by the International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC).
IFAC deals with how societal problems are impacted by and can be solved, using automatic control.
The attribution on the award is: “For control developments in support of the fabrication of quantum silicon devices at the single atom scale.”, and it is only given out every 3 years. The last two recipients were the Dean of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard and a team of 6 individuals from Berkeley and Honeywell.
Reza has played a crucial role as a subcontractor for the DOE 1465 MEMS, STTR MEMS 2B, and STTR Dopants programs at Zyvex Labs since 2015. Through his work on control systems for STM lithography, he not only improved STM technology for Zyvex Labs but also helped us develop the first successful MEMS STM scanner.
Again, we would like to heartily congratulate Reza on this momentous achievement.
Awarded New Research Grants Summer 2021
In the last few months, we have been awarded renewals of three research programs, Phase II SBIRs on fabrication of bipolar devices, and on STM spectroscopy to count buried dopants, and a Phase IIB STTR to commercialize our MEMS STM. These are funded by the Advanced Manufacturing Office of DOE for the next two years.
“Atomically Precise Ultra-High Performance 2D Micro Electronics” – the fabrication of bipolar atomic-scale devices
“Atomically Precise Scanning Probe Based Analysis of Activated Dopants for 2D Micro Electronics” – metrology of devices and counting single buried dopants
“High-Speed Platform for Highly Parallel STM Lithography and Hierarchical Assembly” – MEMS-based STM
These important programs will push forward different aspects of our work towards our overall goal of automated STM lithography for atomic-scale devices.
The outcomes of these programs could also be useful enhancements to the general STM world. The MEMS STM enables stable imaging at over 2 um/s scan speed for example. The spectroscopy tools developed for the Dopants program, would enable new modes of STM imaging.
Two papers in JVST B
We have two papers published in the same edition of JVST B, both related to work we are doing in collaboration with Prof. Reza Moheimani at UT Dallas and his students. This work is funded by the DOE.
The first paper concerns a new high-speed method of capturing I-V data at each pixel of an STM image, using a high-frequency modulation of the bias, while maintaining the tip height over the surface with the feedback control loop.
The second paper concerns our development of a MEMS device to act as the z-actuator of the STM, giving much higher sensitivity in the z-direction, and thus allowing for much fast scanning with atomic resolution.
“An ultra-fast method for scanning tunneling spectroscopy,”
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 39, 042802 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001087
“Atomic precision imaging with an on-chip STM integrated into a commercial UHV STM system,”
Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B 39, 040603 (2021); https://doi.org/10.1116/6.0001107
Review on APM in MRS Bulletin
We have written a review article entitled “Atomic-precision advanced manufacturing for Si quantum computing” with co-authors from Sandia National labs and U. Maryland on the fabrication process of dopant-based 2D devices, for quantum computers.
This article appears in the July 2021 edition of MRS Bulletin, which has a broad audience and thus this article will increase the visibility of APM and Zyvex Labs.
Bussmann, E., Butera, R.E., Owen, J.H.G. et al. Atomic-precision advanced manufacturing for Si quantum computing. MRS Bulletin (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1557/s43577-021-00139-8
The full paper can be viewed in a browser and downloaded from the following link.
Zyvex Labs / UT Dallas paper “Editor’s Pick’
Our recent paper, entitled “High signal-to-noise ratio differential conductance spectroscopy” by Hamed Alemansour et al. published in the Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B was awarded an Editor’s Pick.
In a LinkedIn post, the Editor, Eray Aydil, describes it as “STM on steroids: Imaging capability of the STM combined with with scanning tunneling spectroscopy with a feedback loop that enables capturing a higher quality dI/dV image.” The paper describes a new method which allows for I-V spectroscopy data to be collected while maintaining the tip height above the surface with the tunnel current feedback loop. Combined with creep correction to prevent xy movement, this promises the ability to obtain more accurate spectroscopy, and more rapidly.
We believe that this is an important new development of STM technology and demonstrates the value of our ongoing collaboration between Zyvex Labs and UT Dallas, which is funded by a research grant from the DOE Advanced manufacturing Office.
Researchers Pinpoint More Precise Method for Atomic-Level Manufacturing
Researchers at The University of Texas at Dallas have developed a technique that could remove one of the challenges to scaling the production of silicon quantum devices. The researchers outlined their method, which provides greater control and precision during the fabrication process, in a study published online May 28 and in the July print edition of the Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology B. Silicon is the preferred material for the base of quantum devices because of its compatibility with conventional semiconductor technology.
The problem with conventional HDL is that it can be easy for the operator to pluck the wrong atom of hydrogen resulting in creation of qubits at unwanted locations. Using the STM for HDL requires a higher voltage than for imaging, which too often causes the tip to crash into the surface sample, forcing the operator to start over.
The researchers were working on their solution to the STM tip-crash problem when they discovered a more precise method for manipulating the surface atoms.
“Conventional lithography cannot achieve the requisite atomic precision,” Moheimani said. “The issue is that we are using a microscope to do lithography; we’re using a device to do something it’s not designed for.”
The researchers found that they could achieve higher precision by performing HDL in imaging mode, rather than the conventional lithography mode, with some adjustments to the voltage and a change to the STM’s feedback control system.
“We realized that we could actually use this method to remove hydrogen atoms in a controlled fashion,” Moheimani said. “This came as a surprise. It’s one of those things that happens during experiments, and you try to explain it and take advantage of it.”
https://www.utdallas.edu/news/science-technology/hydrogen-splitting-2020/
Scientists create new recipe for single-atom transistors
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200511092920.htm
Our collaborators at NIST, led by Rick Silver, are making huge progress towards developing a robust, reliable process for atomic-scale dopant-based devices. They have published several papers recently, particularly:
J. Wyrick et al., “Atom by Atom Fabrication of Single and Few Dopant Quantum Devices”, Advanced Functional Matls., Dec. 2019. DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201903475.
X. Wang et al., “Atomic-scale control of Tunnel Coupling in Donor-based Devices”, Comm. Physics, Nature Research J., May 11, 2020. DOI: 10.1038/s42005-020-0343-1
From the press release, “The NIST researchers demonstrated for the first time the exponential scaling of the tunneling resistance on the tunnel gap as it is varied from 7 dimer rows to 16 dimer rows. They showed the capability to reproducibly pattern devices with atomic precision and a donor-based fabrication process where atomic scale changes in the patterned tunnel gap resulted in the expected changes in the tunneling rates.”
Also see: http://quantumhermit.com/particles-trapped-in-twisted-materials-and-quantum-fingerprints/
Moheimani Receives 2018 IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award
Moheimani working with Zyvex’s James Owen on a ZyVector
Reza Moheimani received the 2018 IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award for his research on atomic force microscopy (AFM). Moheimani is a professor and the Jim Von Ehr Distinguished Chair at the University of Texas at Dallas and an important collaborator of Zyvex Labs.
“I am honored and humbled to have received this award for the second time: a paper that I coauthored 12 years ago received the Best Paper Award from IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology in 2007. I have been publishing in IEEE Transactions on Control
Systems Technology for two decades. I am, and have always been, impressed with its strict and thorough review process and high standards. It is a true honor that our work was selected out of a large number of excellent papers published in this journal in 2016 and 2017 to receive this recognition.”
To read the full interview, click HERE.
Zyvex Lab’s ZyVector™ Control system provides the world’s highest (sub-nm) resolution lithography technology. Click here for more information.
The Zyvex Creep and Hysteresis Correction Controller is a live tip position control for fast settling times after landing, and precise motion across the surface. Click here for more information.
Randall to Give Opening Talk at Upcoming Foresight Institute Workshop
John Randall will give the opening talk on defining atomically precise manufacturing at the Foresight Institute Workshop on Healing the Planet: Atomic Precision for Clean Energy & Clean Air. He will both define atomically precise manufacturing in “David Forrest terms” and point to a path that Zyvex Labs believes is a very attractive path: digital atomic scale fabrication. For all of the reasons that digital information technology has replaced our analog information technology, digital fabrication technology will become the predominant manufacturing technology for nano-manufacturing. This will start an “Inverse Moore’s Law” where we will scale up instead of scaling down. Digital atomic scale manufacturing will eventually become the way that everything will be manufactured.
Zyvex Lab’s ZyVector™ Control system provides the world’s highest (sub-nm) resolution lithography technology. Click here for more information.
The Zyvex Creep and Hysteresis Correction Controller is a live tip position control for fast settling times after landing, and precise motion across the surface. Click here for more information.