Letter abstract
Nature Physics 4, 120 - 124 (2008)
Published online: 9 December 2007 | doi:10.1038/nphys808
Subject Categories: Electronics, photonics and device physics | Techniques and instrumentation
Hybrid single-electron transistor as a source of quantized electric current
Jukka P. Pekola1, Juha J. Vartiainen1, Mikko Möttönen1,2, Olli-Pentti Saira1, Matthias Meschke1 & Dmitri V. Averin3
The basis of synchronous manipulation of individual electrons in solid-state devices was laid by the rise of single electronics about two decades ago1, 2, 3. Ultrasmall structures in a low-temperature environment form an ideal domain for addressing electrons one by one. In the so-called metrological triangle, voltage from the Josephson effect and resistance from the quantum Hall effect would be tested against current via Ohm's law for a consistency check of the fundamental constants of nature, 
and e (ref. 4). Several attempts to create a metrological current source that would comply with the demanding criteria of extreme accuracy, high yield and implementation with not too many control parameters have been reported5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Here, we propose and prove the unexpected concept of a hybrid normal-metal–superconductor turnstile in the form of a one-island single-electron transistor with one gate, which demonstrates robust current plateaux at multiple levels of ef at frequency f.
- Low Temperature Laboratory, Helsinki University of Technology, PO Box 3500, 02015 TKK, Finland
- Laboratory of Physics, Helsinki University of Technology, PO Box 4100, 02015 TKK, Finland
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook University, SUNY, Stony Brook, New York 11794-3800, USA
Correspondence to: Jukka P. Pekola1 e-mail: pekola@boojum.hut.fi
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