Simulation of a non-invasive charge detector for quantum cellular automata

Information in a quantum cellular automata architecture is encoded in the p olarization state of a cell, i.e. in the occupation numbers of the quantum dots of which the cell is made up. Non-invasive charge detectors of single electrons in a quantum dot are therefore needed, and recent experiments hav e shown that a quantum constriction electrostatically coupled to the quantu m dot may be a viable solution. We have performed a numerical simulation of a system made of a quantum dot and a nearby quantum point contact defined, by means of depleting metal gates, in a two-dimensional electron gas at a GaAs/AlGaAs heterointerface. We have computed the occupancy of each dot and the resistance of the quantum wire as a function of the voltage applied to the plunger gate, and have derived design criteria for achieving optimal s ensitivity. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.