We analyze transport data from a quantum point contact (QPC), fabricated on a modulation doped Si/SiGe heterostructure, to extract experimental estimates for the valley splitting. The experimental data are fit to a form derived from a valley coupling theory that takes into account the fact that the quantum well is grown on a miscut substrate. The results of the fitting analysis are compared to ...

Abstract. Two types of quantum point contacts have been studied by low temperature scanning gate microscopy. In addition to the usual bright spot, which corresponds to a large conductance change at the constriction, ring structures are observed near the center of the quantum point contact. The ring diameter shrinks with increasing base conductance when the side gate voltage is changed. The ring...

The supercurrent through a quantum point contact coupled to a nanomagnet strongly depends on the dynamics of the nanomagnet’s spin. We employ a fully microscopic model to calculate the transport properties of a junction coupled to a spin whose dynamics is modeled as Larmor precession brought about by an external magnetic field and find that the dynamics affects the charge and spin currents by i...

Compressibility measurements are performed on a quantum point contact (QPC). Screening due to mobile charges in the QPC is measured quantitatively, using a second point contact. These measurements are performed from pinch-off through the opening of the first few modes in the QPC. While the measured signal closely matches a Thomas-Fermi-Poisson prediction, deviations from the classical behavior ...

We propose a setup that integrates a quantum point contact (QPC) and a Josephson junction on a quantum spin Hall sample, experimentally realizable in InAs/GaSb quantum wells. The confinement due to both the QPC and the superconductor results in a Kramers pair of Majorana zero-energy bound states when the superconducting phases in the two arms differ by an odd multiple of π across the Josephson ...