FOR 1483:  Topological Electronics

• Subject Area: Physics
• Term: from 2010 to 2016
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 164558368

This Research Unit is a project within the framework of the strategic Japanese-German cooperation programme on “Nanotechnology contributing Electronics, Information and Communication”. The programme reunites the efforts of eight research groups spread over four universities, two each in Japan and Germany. As the name suggests, the aim of the work is to explore the novel field of topotronics.
More specifically, the project proposes topotronics as a new paradigm of electronics, which utilises novel quantum degrees of freedom including the geometrical phase (Berry phase), the concept of the topological insulator and non-local coherence or entanglement. The aim of this project is to build a concept for dissipationless electronics and provide technical breakthroughs for solid state quantum information technology, two very innovative and challenging aims to be met as we move towards future electronics and information technologies.
Topology in general simply means geometry dealing with position and phase, but here it is used to refer to electronics in which electrical control of geometrically protected quantum phenomena is the key element. In this proposal, we particularly focus on such representative quantum phenomena in low-dimensional electronic systems. These include: (1) spin-orbit interaction, (2) topological insulators, and (3) non-local generation of entanglement (non-local entangler).
A geometry-related quantum nature of the states and their interactions plays an essential role in all of these concepts. (1) is manifestation of combined relativistic and quantum mechanical effects on mobile electrons in solid and (2) is a new quantum state arising from topological features of the quantum phase. Both have until recently been ignored by the electronics industry, despite their fundamental potential with respect to dissipation free electronics. (3) is a concept which enables independent quantum operation of spatially separated entangled electron pairs, and its full control may well bring a real breakthrough in solid state quantum information technology.

• DFG Programme: Research Units

Projects

• Coherent spin control and geometrical phases in mesoscopic conductors (Applicant Richter, Klaus )
• Non-equilibrium transport properties of helical Tomonaga-Luttinger liquids (Applicant Trauzettel, Björn )
• Photocurrents and phase coherent transport in InAs:Mn (Applicant Weiss, Dieter )
• Transport in dissipationless one dimensional topological conductors (Applicant Molenkamp, Laurens W. )

• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Laurens W. Molenkamp