Single-shot readout of an electron spin in silicon

Electron spins generated by phosphorus dopant atoms buried in silicon represent well-isolated quantum bits with long coherence times, but so far the control of such single electrons has been insufficient to use them in this way. These authors report single-shot, time-resolved readout of electron spins in silicon, achieved by coupling the donor atoms to a charge-sensing device called a single-electron transistor. This opens a path to the development of a new generation of quantum computing and spintronic devices in silicon.