1,293 research outputs found
Energy levels of few electron quantum dots imaged and characterized by atomic force microscopy
Strong confinement of charges in few electron systems such as in atoms,
molecules and quantum dots leads to a spectrum of discrete energy levels that
are often shared by several degenerate quantum states. Since the electronic
structure is key to understanding their chemical properties, methods that probe
these energy levels in situ are important. We show how electrostatic force
detection using atomic force microscopy reveals the electronic structure of
individual and coupled self-assembled quantum dots. An electron addition
spectrum in the Coulomb blockade regime, resulting from a change in cantilever
resonance frequency and dissipation during tunneling events, shows one by one
electron charging of a dot. The spectra show clear level degeneracies in
isolated quantum dots, supported by the first observation of predicted
temperature-dependent shifts of Coulomb blockade peaks. Further, by scanning
the surface we observe that several quantum dots may reside on what
topologically appears to be just one. These images of grouped weakly and
strongly coupled dots allow us to estimate their relative coupling strengths.Comment: 11 pages, 6 figure
Atomic scale engines: Cars and wheels
We introduce a new approach to build microscopic engines on the atomic scale
that move translationally or rotationally and can perform useful functions such
as pulling of a cargo. Characteristic of these engines is the possibility to
determine dynamically the directionality of the motion. The approach is based
on the transformation of the fed energy to directed motion through a dynamical
competition between the intrinsic lengths of the moving object and the
supporting carrier.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures (2 in color), Phys. Rev. Lett. (in print
Resonant Photon-Assisted Tunneling Through a Double Quantum Dot: An Electron Pump From Spatial Rabi Oscillations
The time average of the fully nonlinear current through a double quantum dot,
subject to an arbitrary combination of ac and dc voltages, is calculated
exactly using the Keldysh nonequilibrium Green function technique. When driven
on resonance, the system functions as an efficient electron pump due to Rabi
oscillation between the dots. The pumping current is maximum when the coupling
to the leads equals the Rabi frequency.Comment: 6 pages, REVTEX 3.0, 3 postscript figure
Symmetry Constraints and the Electronic Structures of a Quantum Dot with Thirteen Electrons
The symmetry constraints imposing on the quantum states of a dot with 13
electrons has been investigated. Based on this study, the favorable structures
(FSs) of each state has been identified. Numerical calculations have been
performed to inspect the role played by the FSs. It was found that, if a
first-state has a remarkably competitive FS, this FS would be pursued and the
state would be crystal-like and have a specific core-ring structure associated
with the FS. The magic numbers are found to be closely related to the FSs.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figure
Strong-field terahertz-optical mixing in excitons
Driving a double-quantum-well excitonic intersubband resonance with a
terahertz (THz) electric field of frequency \omega_{THz} generated terahertz
optical sidebands \omega=\omega_{THz}+\omega_{NIR} on a weak NIR probe. At high
THz intensities, the intersubband dipole energy which coupled two excitons was
comparable to the THz photon energy. In this strong-field regime the sideband
intensity displayed a non-monotonic dependence on the THz field strength. The
oscillating refractive index which gives rise to the sidebands may be
understood by the formation of Floquet states, which oscillate with the same
periodicity as the driving THz field.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure
Influence of microwave fields on the electron transport through a quantum dot in the presence of a direct tunneling between leads
We consider the time-dependent electron transport through a quantum dot
coupled to two leads in the presence of the additional over-dot (bridge)
tunneling channel. By using the evolution operator method together with the
wide-band limit approximation we derived the analytical formulaes for the
quantum dot charge and current flowing in the system. The influence of the
external microwave field on the time-average quantum dot charge, the current
and the derivatives of the average current with respect to the gate and
source-drain voltages has been investigated for a wide range of parameters.Comment: 28 Pages, 11 Postscript figure
Multi-Exciton Spectroscopy of a Single Self Assembled Quantum Dot
We apply low temperature confocal optical microscopy to spatially resolve,
and spectroscopically study a single self assembled quantum dot. By comparing
the emission spectra obtained at various excitation levels to a theoretical
many body model, we show that: Single exciton radiative recombination is very
weak. Sharp spectral lines are due to optical transitions between confined
multiexcitonic states among which excitons thermalize within their lifetime.
Once these few states are fully occupied, broad bands appear due to transitions
between states which contain continuum electrons.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, submitted for publication on Jan,28 199
Analysis of the genomic homologous recombination in Theilovirus based on complete genomes
At present, Theilovirus is considered to comprise four distinct serotypes, including Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus, Vilyuisk human encephalomyelitis virus, Thera virus, and Saffold virus. So far, there is no systematical study that investigated the genomic recombination of Theilovirus. The present study performed the phylogenetic and recombination analysis of Theilovirus over the complete genomes. Seven potentially significant recombination events were identified. However, according to the strains information and references related to the recombinants and their parental strains, four of the recombination events might happen non-naturally. These results will provide valuable hints for future research on evolution and antigenic variability of Theilovirus
Metal-Insulator Transition in a Disordered Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in GaAs-AlGaAs at zero Magnetic Field
A metal-insulator transition in two-dimensional electron gases at B=0 is
found in Ga(Al)As heterostructures, where a high density of self-assembled InAs
quantum dots is incorporated just 3 nm below the heterointerface. The
transition occurs at resistances around h/e^2 and critical carrier densities of
1.2 10^11cm^-2. Effects of electron-electron interactions are expected to be
rather weak in our samples, while disorder plays a crucial role.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, 21 reference
Far-infrared absorption in parallel quantum wires with weak tunneling
We study collective and single-particle intersubband excitations in a system
of quantum wires coupled via weak tunneling. For an isolated wire with
parabolic confinement, the Kohn's theorem guarantees that the absorption
spectrum represents a single sharp peak centered at the frequency given by the
bare confining potential. We show that the effect of weak tunneling between two
parabolic quantum wires is twofold: (i) additional peaks corresponding to
single-particle excitations appear in the absorption spectrum, and (ii) the
main absorption peak acquires a depolarization shift. We also show that the
interplay between tunneling and weak perpendicular magnetic field drastically
enhances the dispersion of single-particle excitations. The latter leads to a
strong damping of the intersubband plasmon for magnetic fields exceeding a
critical value.Comment: 18 pages + 6 postcript figure
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