Abstract
The magnetization of semiconductor quantum dots in the presence of spin-orbit (SO) coupling and interactions is investigated numerically. When the dot is occupied by two electrons we find that a level crossing between the two lowest many-body eigenstates may occur as a function of the spin-orbit coupling strength. This level crossing is accompanied by a nonvanishing magnetization of the ground state. Using first-order perturbation theory as well as exact numerical diagonalization of small clusters, we show that the tendency of interactions to cause Stoner-type instability is enhanced by the SO coupling. The resulting g factor can have a significant value and thus may influence g -factor measurements. Finally we propose an experimental method by which the predicted phenomenon can be observed.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 195306 |
Journal | Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics |
Volume | 78 |
Issue number | 19 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 6 Nov 2008 |