We investigate automated in situ optimization of the potential landscape in a quantum point contact device, using a 3×3 gate array patterned atop the constriction. Optimization is performed using the covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy, for which we introduce a metric for how "steplike"the conductance is as the channel becomes constricted. We first perform the optimization of the gate voltages in a tight-binding simulation and show how such in situ tuning can be used to mitigate a random disorder potential. The optimization is then performed in a physical device in experiment, where we also observe a marked improvement in the quantization of the conductance resulting from the optimization procedure.

Indium-antimonide (InSb) two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) have a unique combination of material properties: high electron mobility, a strong spin-orbit interaction, a large Landé g factor, and a small effective mass. This makes them an attractive platform to explore a variety of mesoscopic phenomena ranging from spintronics to topological superconductivity. However, there exist limited studies of quantum confined systems in these 2DEGs, often attributed to charge instabilities and gate drifts. We overcome this by removing the δ-doping layer from the heterostructure and induce carriers electrostatically. This allows us to perform a detailed study of stable gate-defined quantum dots in InSb 2DEGs. We demonstrate two distinct strategies for carrier confinement and study the charge stability of the dots. The small effective mass results in a relatively large single-particle spacing, allowing for the observation of an even-odd variation in the addition energy. By tracking the Coulomb oscillations in a parallel magnetic field, we determine the ground-state spin configuration and show that the large g factor (approximately 30) results in a singlet-triplet transition at magnetic fields as low as 0.3 T.