Experimental demonstration of a leadless quantum-dot cellular automata cell

We present the experimental characterization of a leadless (floating) doubl e-dot system and a leadless quantum-dot cellular automata cell, when alumin um metal islands are connected to the environment only by capacitors. Here, single electron charge transfer can be accomplished only by the exchange o f an electron between the dots. The charge state of the dots is monitored u sing metal islands configured as electrometers. We show improvements in the cell performance relative to leaded dots, and discuss possible implication s of our leadless design to the quantum-dot cellular automata logic impleme ntation. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)00731-2].