We discuss an electronic interferometer recently measured by Yamamoto et al. This “flying quantum bit” experiment showed quantum oscillations between electronic trajectories of two tunnel-coupled wires connected via an Aharanov-Bohm ring. We present a simple scattering model as well as a numerical microscopic model to describe this experiment. In addition, we present experimental data to which we confront our numerical results. While our analytical model provides basic concepts for designing the flying qubit device, we find that our numerical simulations allow us to reproduce detailed features of the transport measurements such as in-phase and antiphase oscillations of the two output currents as well as a smooth phase shift when sweeping a side gate. Furthermore, we find remarkable resemblance for the magnetoconductance oscillations in both conductance and visibility between simulations and experiments within a specific parameter range.

• Received 19 December 2013
• Revised 27 February 2014

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.125432