Advanced quantum technology for metrology of electrical currents

The European Union aims to be at the forefront of digital transformation, empowering citizens through innovation and new technologies. Quantum technologies, like quantum computing and quantum sensing, will be vital in this plan and are set to underpin much of the future of digitisation. As these technologies rely on the high-fidelity control of electrons and currents in the nano-Ampere (nA) region, single-electron pumping, the Josephson effect and the quantum Hall effect can provide a direct link to the SI. However, there is a lack of robust primary quantum standards for many small electrical current levels, quantised single-electron sources still have high uncertainty and advanced semiconductor and superconductor quantum technologies have not been explored fully for their potential to further quantum electrical metrology.

This project will develop a robust primary quantum standard for electrical current. It will investigate and evaluate the scaling of quantised currents in the nA region using single-electron pumps, Josephson voltage sources and quantum Hall resistance standards to create a range of primary quantum current sources. It will also evaluate semiconductor single-electron pumps, analysing rare error events and developing advanced models for electron capture and emission. The project will explore novel device concepts for generating quantised currents, such as semiconductor qubit devices, and develop advanced technologies to implement and scale quantum electrical current standards.

The project’s work will improve the low-current measurements underpinning emerging quantum technologies, reducing uncertainty and increasing confidence during the digital transformation. This will allow new technologies to be taken up more quickly and ensure robustness into the future.