The Iontronic Quantum Dot

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) are key building blocks for quantum technologies with applications in quantum computation, communication, and sensing. QD device architectures rooted in conventional solid-state device fabrication paradigms are grappled with complex protocols to balance ease of realization, scalability, and transport properties. Using ion gating, we demonstrate a novel paradigm of quantum device engineering, that enables the realization and control of the iontronic QD. Clear Coulomb blockade peaks and their dependence on an externally applied magnetic field are reported, together with the impact of device architecture and confinement potential on QD quality. Devices incorporating two identical iontronic QDs in series are realized, addressing the reproducibility of the approach. A novel class of zero-dimensional quantum devices, iontronic QDs, overcome the need for thin dielectric layers, facilitating single-step device fabrication. This approach holds the potential to impact the development of quantum materials and devices in the context of solid-state quantum technologies.