Current-based RF charge sensing in a carbon nanotube

Abstract

Ultra-sensitive charge detection is a widely used tool for quantum electronics with applications in quantum information processing and in probing the physics of condensed matter systems. Existing approaches require either an impedance-matched resonant circuit, or millimeter-scale proximity between amplifier and sample, both adding complexity and constraining device design. In this work, we introduce a current-mode charge sensor in a suspended carbon nanotube, operating at the $1.25$ MHz resonance of an RLC tank circuit and achieving a charge sensitivity of $0.15~\mu e/\sqrt{\mathrm{Hz}}$. We utilize it to measure a double quantum dot (DQD) electrostatically defined in the same nanotube, revealing a highly regular charge stability diagram. We perform single-shot readout of the DQD charge state at an integration time of $3.56~\mu\mathrm{s}$, without any false assignments over $10^{7}$ measurements and a signal-to-noise ratio of 17 exceeding the state of the art.