Interaction-induced strong localization in quantum dots
Abstract
We argue that Coulomb blockade phenomena are a useful probe of the crossover to strong correlation in quantum dots. Through calculations at low density using variational and diffusion quantum Monte Carlo (up to rs ∼55), we find that the addition energy shows a clear progression from features associated with shell structure to those caused by commensurability of a Wigner crystal. This crossover (which occurs near rs ∼20 for spin-polarized electrons) is, then, a signature of interaction-driven localization. As the addition energy is directly measurable in Coulomb blockade conductance experiments, this provides a direct probe of localization in the low density electron gas. © 2008 The American Physical Society.
Date Published
Journal
Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics
Volume
77
Issue
4
URL
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-37749040227&doi=10.1103%2fPhysRevB.77.041301&partnerID=40&md5=c52c4c4c929c4ac1b4749ef83b68bc17
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevB.77.041301
Research Area
Group (Lab)
Cyrus Umrigar Group
Funding Source
0506953