Personal Information:
Name: Dene Farrell
Date of Birth: August 5, 1983
Birthplace: Manhattan, NY
School: SUNY Binhamton
Major: Engineering
Date of Graduation: May 2005
Parents: Larry and Jeanne Farrell
Siblings: Two Sisters - Zinnia and Celia Farrell
Email: dream10536@hotmail.com

I am a member of the Lumbee tribe. Check out the website:  Lumbee.org
I am a descendant of Henry Berry Lowrie, a hero of the native community of Robeson County:  http://www.lumbee.org/hbl.htm

Nanoscale Electronics / Single-Electron Transport in Quantum Dot Arrays

A quantum dot is a small particle, a few nanometers in diameter.  At this size the particle behaves in a manner that is similar to a single atom concerning interactions with electrical charges: a quantum dot can hold a single electron in addition to the electrons it usually has to balance the nuclear charge.  Therefore, it can increase its charge by the difference of one electron .

Crucial to the construction of many nanodevices is the ability to arrange quantum dots into arrays, networks, and circuits in a precise and controlled manner.  Networks of nanometer-sized metal or semiconductor islands, or quantum dots, may exhibit a variety of quantum phenomena, with applications in optical devices, nanometer-sized sensors, advanced computer architectures, ultra dense memories, and quantum-information science and technology.

This research is focused on simulations of single-electron transport in one-and two-dimensional arrays of quantum dots. The goals of this research include understanding the physical conditions necessary to realize high contrast non-linear features in the current through an array as a function of the applied potential difference.  Nonlinear current-voltage relations are the result of Coulomb-blockade and Coulomb-staircase phenomena in the electrical charging of nanoscale electrical conductors. Applications include the development of pattern classification algorithms modeled after neuromorphic networks.

Research Mentor:
Jack Wells, Ph.D.
his personal web page
wellsjc@ornl.gov

Here are images of a simple one island single electron transistor, and a graph demonstrating the coulomb blockade effect that occurs in a transistor of this nature. C and G designate capacitance and conductance, respectively. The electrodes (source and drain) are represented by the numbers one and two, the island by three. Each plateau in the current is the result of a coulomb blockade. Threshold voltage is equivalent to e times the inverse of twice the first capacitance (Vt = e/2C13). The length of each plateau equals e/C13.

image compliments of
http://www.sp.phy.cam.ac.uk/SPWeb/research/CB.html
 
 
 

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This research was performed under the Research Alliance for Minorities Program administered through the Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.  This Program is sponsored by the Mathematical, Information, and Computational Sciences Division; Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research; U.S. Department of Energy.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.
 

This work has been authored by a contractor of the U.S. Government under contract DE-AC05-00OR22725.  Accordingly, the U.S. Government retains a nonexclusive, royalty-free license to publish or reproduce the published form of this contribution, or allow others to do so, for U.S. Government purposes.
 
 

This internship was a great experience. I will take away vital skills and knowledge that lasts forever. A special thanx to Debbie McCoy, Cheryl Hamby for being so caring and helpful, and Dr. Jack Wells for being a fantastic mentoring.
 

Here is a link to my school.

 SUNY Binghamton

The facility that conducts this research - Center for Engineering Science Advanced Research:

 CESAR

Some one has to actually make the quantum dots used in single electron transistors.

SYNTHESIS OF QUANTUM DOTS

Scientists  also need a way to assemble them. A technique that uses DNA strands as a scaffold is being investigated.

Directed Bioassembly of Quantum Dots

Ultimately the arrays will be used for computational purposes; relaying information from sensory units to central processors.

Quantum-Dot Arrays: Simulation and Computing

Some research accomplishments for CESAR:

Computing with Arrays of Quantum Dots
 
 

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