Radiofrequency cascade readout of coupled spin qubits

Abstract Silicon spin qubits based on metal–oxide–semiconductor (MOS) technology are compatible with semiconductor manufacturing and offer a route to scalable quantum processing. However, spin readout typically relies on proximal charge sensors, which add architectural complexity and limit qubit connectivity. In situ dispersive readout techniques are more compact, which can alleviate these constrains, but exhibit limited sensitivity. Here we report a radiofrequency electron-cascade readout method that enhances the dispersive signal through alternating-current electron co-tunnelling. With this approach, we achieve an enhancement in signal-to-noise ratio of more than 35 dB, leading to a minimum integration time of 7.6 ± 0.2 µs. We demonstrate singlet-triplet readout of two-electron spins in a natural silicon planar MOS quantum dot array, and coherent spin control using the exchange interaction, which forms the basis for entangling gates. We find dephasing times of up to 500 ns and a gate quality factor that exceeds 10.