Transmission through a n interacting quantum dot in the Coulomb blockade regime

The influence of electron-electron (e-e) interactions on the transmission through a quantum dot is investigated numerically for the Coulomb blockade regime. For vanishing magnetic fields, the conductance peak height statistics is found to be independent of the interactions strength. It is identical to the statistics predicted by constant interaction single electron random matrix theory and agrees well with recent experiments. However, in contrast to these random matrix theories, our calculations reproduces the reduced sensitivity to magnetic flux observed in many experiments. The relevant physics is traced to the short range Coulomb correlations providing thus a unified explanation for the transmission statistics as well as for the large conductance peak spacing fluctuations observed in other experiments.Comment: Final version as publishe

Even-odd correlations in capacitance fluctuations of quantum dots

We investigate effects of short range interactions on the addition spectra of quantum dots using a disordered Hubbard model. A correlation function \cS(q) is defined on the inverse compressibility versus filling data, and computed numerically for small lattices. Two regimes of interaction strength are identified: the even/odd fluctuations regime typical of Fermi liquid ground states, and a regime of structureless \cS(q) at strong interactions. We propose to understand the latter regime in terms of magnetically correlated localized spins.Comment: 3 pages, Revtex, Without figure

Decay of Quasi-Particle in a Quantum Dot: the role of Energy Resolution

The disintegration of quasiparticle in a quantum dot due to the electron interaction is considered. It was predicted recently that above the energy \eps^{*} = \Delta(g/\ln g)^{1/2} each one particle peak in the spectrum is split into many components ($\Delta$ and $g$ are the one particle level spacing and conductance). We show that the observed value of \eps^{*} should depend on the experimental resolution \delta \eps. In the broad region of variation of \delta \eps the $\ln g$ should be replaced by \ln(\Delta/ g\delta \eps). We also give the arguments against the delocalization transition in the Fock space. Most likely the number of satellite peaks grows continuously with energy, being $\sim 1$ at \eps \sim \eps^{*}, but remains finite at \eps > \eps^{*}. The predicted logarithmic distribution of inter-peak spacings may be used for experimental confirmation of the below-Golden-Rule decay.Comment: 5 pages, REVTEX, 2 eps figures, version accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Properties of low-lying states in a diffusive quantum dot and Fock-space localization

Motivated by an experiment by Sivan et al. (Europhys. Lett. 25, 605 (1994)) and by subsequent theoretical work on localization in Fock space, we study numerically a hierarchical model for a finite many-body system of Fermions moving in a disordered potential and coupled by a two-body interaction. We focus attention on the low-lying states close to the Fermi energy. Both the spreading width and the participation number depend smoothly on excitation energy. This behavior is in keeping with naive expectations and does not display Anderson localization. We show that the model reproduces essential features of the experiment by Sivan et al.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. Let

Effects of a saponin fraction extracted from Trigonella foenum-graecum L. and two commercially available saponins on sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapa fry, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Over three million tonnes (t) of tilapia, mostly Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L.), are produced annually making it the second most abundantly produced freshwater fish (FAO, 2010). Tilapia are mouthbreeders that often produce stunted populations under pond conditions; one means of prevention is to produce all-male fish with the additional advantage that males usually grow faster than females. All-male populations can be achieved by supplementing feed with androgens such as 17-α-Methyltestosterone (MT) during days 10–25 post-hatch (Pandian and Sheela, 1995). However, MT is considered to be carcinogenic (Velazquez and Alter, 2004), and Hulak et al. (2008) also showed that effluents of systems in which carp were fed diets containing MT caused masculinization of female fish. Furthermore, in aquaculture the application of hormones to fish destined for human consumption is prohibited in the European Union under directive 96/22/EC, article 5, which also prohibits import of animal products produced with hormones. Kwon et al. (2000) showed that Fadrozole, a non-steroidal compound, caused masculinization in tilapia by inhibiting aromatase, which is the enzyme responsible for the conversion of endogenous androgens to estrogens. Steinbronn et al. (2004) were able to show that a dose of 2000 ppm Quillaja saponins (Sigma S-2149) inhibited reproduction of tilapia after dietary application for 32 days to first-feeding fry, suggesting saponins as a possible alternative to MT. These secondary plant compounds consist of either a steroid or triterpenoid basic structure (aglycone or sapogenin) plus one or more sugar side chains (Francis et al., 2002a). In a previous experiment a saponin fraction from the soapbark tree (Quillaja saponaria M.) inhibited aromatase in vitro (Golan et al., 2008). The fenugreek plant (Trigonella foenum-graecum L), widely cultivated in the Middle East and Asia, also has a high saponin content. The experiment was therefore conducted to test whether saponin fractions from Q. saponaria and from T. foenum-graecum were able to influence the sex ratio and gonad histology of Nile tilapia

Quasiparticle Lifetime in a Finite System: A Non--Perturbative Approach

The problem of electron--electron lifetime in a quantum dot is studied beyond perturbation theory by mapping it onto the problem of localization in the Fock space. We identify two regimes, localized and delocalized, corresponding to quasiparticle spectral peaks of zero and finite width, respectively. In the localized regime, quasiparticle states are very close to single particle excitations. In the delocalized state, each eigenstate is a superposition of states with very different quasiparticle content. A transition between the two regimes occurs at the energy $\simeq\Delta(g/\ln g)^{1/2}$, where $\Delta$ is the one particle level spacing, and $g$ is the dimensionless conductance. Near this energy there is a broad critical region in which the states are multifractal, and are not described by the Golden Rule.Comment: 13 pages, LaTeX, one figur

Co-tunneling current through the two-level quantum dot coupled to magnetic leads: A role of exchange interaction

The co-tunneling current through a two-level doubly occupied quantum dot weakly coupled to ferromagnetic leads is calculated in the Coulomb blockade regime. It is shown that the dependence of the differrential conductance on applied voltage has a stair-case structure with different sets of "stairs" for parallel and anti-parallel configurations of magnetization of the leads. Contributions to the current from elastic and inelastic processes are considered distinctly. It is observed that the interference part of the co-tunneling current involves terms corresponding to inelastic processes. Dependence of the co-tunneling current on the phases of the tunneling amplitudes is studied.Comment: LaTex, 14 page

On the dephasing time of the chiral metal

In the low-dimensional disordered systems the dephasing time and the inelastic scattering (out-scattering) time are in general different. We show that in the case of the two-dimensional chiral metal which is formed at the surface of a layered three dimensional system, which is exhibiting the integer quantum Hall effect these two quantities are essentially the same and their temperature-dependence is T^(-3/2). In particular we show that the results obtained using the diagramatic technique and the phase uncertainty approach introduced by A. Stern et al. (Phys. Rev. A 41, 3436 (1990)) for the out-scattering and the dephasing time respectively, coincide. We furthermore consider these quantities in the case of the three-dimensional chiral metal, where similar conclusions are reached.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, europhys.st

Calculation of dephasing times in closed quantum dots

Dephasing of one-particle states in closed quantum dots is analyzed within the framework of random matrix theory and Master equation. Combination of this analysis with recent experiments on the magnetoconductance allows for the first time to evaluate the dephasing times of closed quantum dots. These dephasing times turn out to depend on the mean level spacing and to be significantly enhanced as compared with the case of open dots. Moreover, the experimental data available are consistent with the prediction that the dephasing of one-particle states in finite closed systems disappears at low enough energies and temperatures.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure