Strain detection using a single erbium atom in silicon

As the size of microelectronic devices approaches fundamental limits, their performance is strongly influenced by the local environment inside the device, such as electric field and strain. Here we present the effect of applied strain on single erbium ions in a silicon transistor. This result, in conjunction with the Stark effect detection demonstrated previously, can be utilised for non-destructive 3D imaging of the local strain and electric field in nano-transistors, using the single erbium ions as atomic sensors.