Accuracy of the Hartree-Fock method for Wigner molecules at high magnetic fields

We use a variational Monte Carlo algorithm to solve the electronic structure of two-dimensional semiconductor quantum dots in external magnetic field. We present accurate many-body wave functions for the system in various magnetic field regimes. We show the importance of symmetry, and demonstrate how it can be used to simplify the variational wave functions. We present in detail the algorithm for efficient wave function optimization. We also present a Monte Carlo -based diago...

Exact diagonalization results are reported for the lowest rotational band of N=6 electrons in strong magnetic fields in the range of high angular momenta 70 <= L <= 140 (covering the corresponding range of fractional filling factors 1/5 >= nu >= 1/9). A detailed comparison of energetic, spectral, and transport properties (specifically, magic angular momenta, radial electron densities, occupation number distributions, overlaps and total energies, and exponents of current-volta...

Ground state energies are obtained using the unrestricted Hartree Fock method for up to four interacting electrons parabolically confined in a quantum dot subject to a magnetic field. Restoring spin and rotational symmetries we recover Hund first rule. With increasing magnetic field, crossovers between ground states with different quantum numbers are found for fixed electron number that are not reproduced by the unrestricted Hartree Fock approximation. These are consistent wi...

Using the method of breaking of circular symmetry and of subsequent symmetry restoration via projection techiques, we present calculations for the ground-state energies and excitation spectra of N-electron parabolic quantum dots in strong magnetic fields in the medium-size range 10 <= N <= 30. The physical picture suggested by our calculations is that of finite rotating electron molecules (REMs) comprising multiple rings, with the rings rotating independently of each other. A...

Currents in a few-electron parabolic quantum dot placed into a perpendicular magnetic field are considered. We show that traditional ways of investigating the Wigner crystallization by studying the charge density correlation function can be supplemented by the examination of the density-current correlator. However, care must be exercised when constructing the correct projection of the multi-dimensional wave function space. The interplay between the magnetic field and Euler-li...

Density-functional theory is used to study the electronic structure of quantum dots in a magnetic field. New series of magic numbers are found for the total angular momentum of electrons. The empirical formula for the plateau width is obtained. The effect of a charged impurity on the electronic structure of a quantum dot has been studied.

We report calculations for electronic ground states of parabolically confined quantum dots for up to 30 electrons based on the quantum Monte Carlo method. Effects of the electron-electron interaction and the response to a magnetic field are exposed. The wavefunctions and the ground state energies are compared with purely classical calculations performed with a comprehensive Molecular Dynamics code. For the chosen well parameters a close correspondence in the overall shape of ...

Classes of spontaneous symmetry breaking at zero and low magnetic fields in single quantum dots (QD's) and quantum dot molecules (QDM's) are discussed in relation to the ratio R_W between the interelectron Coulomb repulsion and the harmonic confinement, using spin-and-Space unrestricted Hartree-Fock calculations. These include: Wigner crystallization for R_W > 1, and formation of non-crystallized electron puddles localized on the individual dots in QDM's, as well as spin-dens...

We discuss symmetry breaking in two-dimensional quantum dots resulting from strong interelectron repulsion relative to the zero-point kinetic energy associated with the confining potential. Such symmetry breaking leads to the emergence of crystalline arrangements of electrons in the dot. The so-called Wigner molecules form already at field-free conditions. The appearance of rotating Wigner molecules in circular dots under high magnetic field, and their relation to magic angul...

We present measurements and theoretical interpretation of the magnetic field dependent excitation spectra of a two-electron quantum dot. The quantum dot is based on an Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As parabolic quantum well with effective $g^\star$-factor close to zero. Results of tunneling spectroscopy of the four lowest states are compared to exact diagonalization calculations and a generalized Heitler--London approximation and good agreement is found. Electronic correlations, associated...