# US 2024/0201226 A1 · A system and a method of determining information relating to a periodic signal > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2024/0201226 A1 - Document ID: US20240201226A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/555,892 - Filed: 2022-04-08 - Published: 2024-06-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-04-19 - Assignees: Qdevil Aps; University of Copenhagen - Applicants: Qdevil Aps; University of Copenhagen - Inventors: Joost VAN DER HEIJDEN; Ferdinand KUEMMETH; Merlin VON SOOSTEN; Soren ANDRESEN; Anders KUHLE; Jonatan KUTCHINSKY - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20240201226A1 ## CPC - G01R 15/146: {Measuring arrangements for current not covered by other subgroups of G01R15/14, e.g. using current dividers, shunts, or measuring a voltage drop (if no voltage isolation is involved G01R1/203 or G01R19/0092)} - G01R 15/144: {Measuring arrangements for voltage not covered by other subgroups of G01R15/14} - G01R 29/0878: {Sensors; antennas; probes; detectors (wave guide measuring sections G01R1/24)} - H03K 5/01: Shaping pulses (discrimination against noise or interference H03K5/125) - B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic - G01R 15/165: {measuring electrostatic potential, e.g. with electrostatic voltmeters or electrometers, when the design of the sensor is essential (electrometers with passively moving electrodes G01R5/28; measuring electrostatic fields G01R29/12; measuring charge G01R29/24; measuring in circuits with high internal resistance G01R19/0023)} - H03K 2005/00013: {Delay, i.e. output pulse is delayed after input pulse and pulse length of output pulse is dependent on pulse length of input pulse} - H03K 2005/00286: {Phase shifter, i.e. the delay between the output and input pulse is dependent on the frequency, and such that a phase difference is obtained independent of the frequency} - H10D 30/402: {Single electron transistors; Coulomb blockade transistors} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) - B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES - H10D: INORGANIC ELECTRIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES ## Abstract A system for determining information relating to a first periodic signal, the system comprising a sequence of storage elements each configured to store at least one charged particle, where a signal with a constant voltage and a signal with a varying voltage is fed to each storage element. One of the signals with the varying voltage is the first periodic signal. By monitoring the current pumped between the storage elements by the voltages applied to the storage elements, the information relating to the first periodic signal may be generated. ## Claims ### Claim at position 1 -16. (canceled) ### Claim 17 A system for determining information relating to a first periodic signal, the system comprising: a sequence of storage elements each configured to store at least one charged particle, a first terminal configured to deliver charged particles to and receive charged particles from a first storage element of the sequence of storage elements, the first storage element configured to receive a first DC signal and a first AC signal comprising the first periodic signal, a signal source configured to provide a second periodic signal having a period at least substantially equal to an integer time a period of the first periodic signal or the period of the first periodic signal divided by an integer, a second terminal configured to deliver charged particles to and receive charged particles from a second storage element of the sequence of storage elements, the second storage element being configured to receive the second periodic signal, as a second AC signal, and a second DC signal, a current sensor configured to sense a current transmitted between the two terminals and output a corresponding current signal, and a processor configured to: a) a number of times: i) during a plurality of periods of the first AC signal, receive the current signal while keeping the first and second DC signals constant and ii) determine or obtain information as to the voltages of the first and second DC signals, where the first and/or second DC signal vary/ies from time to time, and b) determine the information based on the current signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the storage elements are quantum dots. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the charged particles are electrons. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the signal source is configured to output a sine-shaped or saw tooth-shaped signal. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the signal source is configured to output, as the second periodic signal, the first periodic signal delayed or phase shifted by a predetermined portion, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the information based also on the delay or phase shift. ### Claim 22 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the controller is configured to alter one or both of the first and the second DC signals between two adjacent times of the number of times. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The system according to claim 21, wherein the signal source is controllable by the processor to select one of a plurality of predetermined delays or phase shifts, the controller being configured to: for a plurality of different delays or phase shifts: control the delay element to delay the periodic signal by the pertaining delay or phase shift, and perform steps a) and b), where step b) comprises determining the information from the received current signals and the delays/phase shifts. ### Claim 24 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to control the signal source to output a selected second periodic signal of a plurality of second periodic signals, and wherein the processor is configured to: perform step a) for each of a number of different second periodic signals and perform step b) on the basis of the current signals received and the second periodic signals used for each step a). ### Claim 25 (depends on 17) The system according to claim 17, wherein the processor is configured to, in step b), to determine as the information a voltage over time of the first periodic signal. ### Claim 26 A method of deriving information relating to a first periodic signal, the method comprising the steps of: providing a second periodic signal having a period at least substantially equal to an integer times a period of the first signal or the period of the first signal divided by an integer, a plurality of points in time: feeding the first periodic signal, as a first AC signal, to a first storage element in a sequence of storage elements, feeding a first DC signal to the first storage element, feeding the second periodic signal, as a second AC signal, to a second storage element in the sequence of storage elements, feeding a second DC signal to the second storage element, wherein at least one of a voltage of the first DC signal and a voltage of the second DC signal differs at two different points in time, and during a plurality of periods of the first AC signal, keeping the first and second DC signals constant and detecting any current transmitted between the first storage element and the second storage element, deriving the information from the determined currents. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein the second periodic signal is a sine-shaped or saw-tooth shaped signal. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, wherein the second periodic signal is the first periodic signal delayed, or phase shifted by a predetermined portion, and wherein the step of deriving the information comprises basing the information also on the delay or phase shift. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, wherein a delay is identified at which at least substantially no current is generated, and wherein the information relates to the delay. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, wherein the step of deriving the information comprises sequentially selecting a plurality of delays and basing the determination on the currents detected and the delays. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, wherein one or both of the first and second DC voltages are altered between adjacent points in time of the plurality of points in time. ### Claim 32 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, wherein the deriving step comprises deriving information relating to a voltage over time of the first periodic signal.