Thermal-Error Regime in High-Accuracy Gigahertz Single-Electron Pumping

Single-electron pumps based on quantum dots (QDs) with tunable barriers are promising candidates for the emerging quantum standard of electrical current, but accuracy at elevated reservoir temperatures can be challenging. In this study, a planar silicon QD achieves accurate, high-speed single-electron pumping in the thermal regime, where reservoir temperature could rise to a few kelvin. This device operates without the demanding conditions of previous experiments, indicating that it could deliver a cost-effective and easily distributed standard of current---and, furthermore, could be useful for long-range transfer of quantum information.