arXiv subjects

A. Fuhrer

Publications and source records attributed to A. Fuhrer.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2008

Radiative corrections in K --> 3 pi decays

We investigate radiative corrections to K --> 3 pi decays. In particular, we extend the non-relativistic framework developed recently to include real and virtual photons and show that, in a well-defined power counting scheme, the results reproduce corrections obtained in the relativistic calculation. Real photons are included exactly, beyond the soft-photon approximation, and we compare the result with the latter. The singularities generated by pionium near threshold are investigated, and a region is identified where standard perturbation theory in the fine structure constant alpha may be applied. We expect that the formulae provided allow one to extract S-wave pi pi scattering lengths from the cusp effect in these decays with high precision.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Cusps in K_L --> 3 pi decays

The pion mass difference generates a pronounced cusp in K --> 3 pi decays, the strength of which is related to the pi pi S-wave scattering lengths. We apply an effective field theory framework developed earlier to evaluate the amplitudes for K_L --> 3 pi decays in a systematic manner, where the strictures imposed by analyticity and unitarity are respected automatically. The amplitudes for the decay eta --> 3 pi are also given.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2007

Strong g-Factor Anisotropy in Hole Quantum Dots Defined in Ge/Si Nanowires

We demonstrate fully tunable single and double quantum dots in a one-dimensional hole system based on undoped Ge/Si core-shell nanowire heterostructures. The local hole density along the nanowire is controlled by applying voltages to five top gate electrodes with a periodicity of 80 nm, insulated from the wire by a 20 nm-thick HfO_2 dielectric film. Low-temperature transport measurements were used to investigate the magnetic field dependence of Coulomb blockade peaks in a single quantum dot and indicate a strongly anisotropic g-factor with |g_para| = 0.60 +/- 0.03 and |g_perp| < 0.12.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2007

Direct Measurement of the Spin-Orbit Interaction in a Two-Electron InAs Nanowire Quantum Dot

We demonstrate control of the electron number down to the last electron in tunable few-electron quantum dots defined in catalytically grown InAs nanowires. Using low temperature transport spectroscopy in the Coulomb blockade regime we propose a simple method to directly determine the magnitude of the spin-orbit interaction in a two-electron artificial atom with strong spin-orbit coupling. Due to a large effective g-factor |g*|=8+/-1 the transition from singlet S to triplet T+ groundstate with increasing magnetic field is dominated by the Zeeman energy rather than by orbital effects. We find that the spin-orbit coupling mixes the T+ and S states and thus induces an avoided crossing with magnitude $Δ_{SO}$=0.25+/-0.05 meV. This allows us to calculate the spin-orbit length $λ_{SO}\approx$127 nm in such systems using a simple model.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2006

Fano effect in a ring-dot system with tunable coupling

Transport measurements are presented on a quantum ring that is tunnel-coupled to a quantum dot. When the dot is in the Coulomb blockade regime, but strongly coupled to the open ring, Fano line shapes are observed in the current through the ring, when the electron number in the dot changes by one. The symmetry of the Fano resonances is found to depend on the magnetic flux penetrating the area of the ring and on the strength of the ring-dot coupling. At temperatures above T=0.65 K the Fano effect disappears while the Aharonov-Bohm interference in the ring persists up to T=4.2 K. Good agreement is found between these experimental observations and a single channel scattering matrix model including decoherence in the dot.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2005

Tunable effective g-factor in InAs nanowire quantum dots

We report tunneling spectroscopy measurements of the Zeeman spin splitting in InAs few-electron quantum dots. The dots are formed between two InP barriers in InAs nanowires with a wurtzite crystal structure grown by chemical beam epitaxy. The values of the electron g-factors of the first few electrons entering the dot are found to strongly depend on dot size and range from close to the InAs bulk value in large dots |g^*|=13 down to |g^*|=2.3 for the smallest dots. These findings are discussed in view of a simple model.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Spatially resolved manipulation of single electrons in quantum dots using a scanned probe

The scanning metallic tip of a scanning force microscope was coupled capacitively to electrons confined in a lithographically defined gate-tunable quantum dot at a temperature of 300 mK. Single electrons were made to hop on or off the dot by moving the tip or by changing the tip bias voltage owing to the Coulomb-blockade effect. Spatial images of conductance resonances map the interaction potential between the tip and individual electronic quantum dot states. Under certain conditions this interaction is found to contain a tip-voltage induced and a tip-voltage independent contribution.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Multiple layer local oxidation for fabricating semiconductor nanostructures

Coupled semiconductor nanostructures with a high degree of tunability are fabricated using local oxidation with a scanning force microscope. Direct oxidation of the GaAs surface of a Ga[Al]As heterostructure containing a shallow two-dimensional electron gas is combined with the local oxidation of a thin titanium film evaporated on top. A four-terminal quantum dot and a double quantum dot system with integrated charge readout are realized. The structures are tunable via in-plane gates formed by isolated regions in the electron gas and by mutually isolated regions of the Ti film acting as top gates. Coulomb blockade experiments demonstrate the high quality of this fabrication process.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Spin Effects in a Quantum Ring

Recent experiments are reviewed that explore the spin states of a ring-shaped many-electron quantum dot. Coulomb-blockade spectroscopy is used to access the spin degree of freedom. The Zeeman effect observed for states with successive electron number allows to select possible sequences of spin ground states of the ring. Spin-paired orbital levels can be identified by probing their response to magnetic fields normal to the plane of the ring and electric fields caused by suitable gate voltages. This narrows down the choice of ground-state spin sequences. A gate-controlled singlet--triplet transition is identified and the size of the exchange interaction matrix element is determined.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Kondo Effect in a Many-Electron Quantum Ring

The Kondo effect is investigated in a many-electron quantum ring as a function of magnetic field. For fields applied perpendicular to the plane of the ring a modulation of the Kondo effect with the Aharonov-Bohm period is observed. This effect is discussed in terms of the energy spectrum of the ring and the parametrically changing tunnel coupling. In addition, we use gate voltages to modify the ground-state spin of the ring. The observed splitting of the Kondo-related zero-bias anomaly in this configuration is tuned with an in-plane magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Single-Electron Effects in a Coupled Dot-Ring System

Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are studied in the magnetoconductance of a micron-sized open quantum ring coupled capacitively to a Coulomb-blockaded quantum dot. As the plunger gate of the dot is modulated and tuned through a conductance resonance, the amplitude of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the transconductance of the ring displays a minimum. We demonstrate that the effect is due to a single-electron screening effect, rather than to dephasing. Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in a quantum ring can thus be used for the detection of single charges.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Transmission Phase Through Two Quantum Dots Embedded in a Four-Terminal Quantum Ring

We use the Aharonov-Bohm effect in a four-terminal ring based on a Ga[Al]As heterostructure for the measurement of the relative transmission phase. In each of the two interfering paths we induce a quantum dot. The number of electrons in the two dots can be controlled independently. The transmission phase is measured as electrons are added to or taken away from the individual quantum dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Magnetic field dependent transmission phase of a double dot system in a quantum ring

The Aharonov-Bohm effect is measured in a four-terminal open ring geometry based on a Ga[Al]As heterostructure. Two quantum dots are embedded in the structure, one in each of the two interfering paths. The number of electrons in the two dots can be controlled independently. The transmission phase is measured as electrons are added to or taken away from the individual quantum dots. Although the measured phase shifts are in qualitative agreement with theoretical predictions, the phase evolution exhibits unexpected dependence on the magnetic field. For example, phase lapses are found only in certain ranges of magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Singlet-Triplet Transition Tuned by Asymmetric Gate Voltages in a Quantum Ring

Wavefunction and interaction effects in the addition spectrum of a Coulomb blockaded many electron quantum ring are investigated as a function of asymmetrically applied gate voltages and magnetic field. Hartree and exchange contributions to the interaction are quantitatively evaluated at a crossing between states extended around the ring and states which are more localized in one arm of the ring. A gate tunable singlet-triplet transition of the two uppermost levels of this many electron ring is identified at zero magnetic field.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Energy spectra of quantum rings

Ring geometries have fascinated experimental and theoretical physicists over many years. Open rings connected to leads allow the observation of the Aharonov-Bohm effect, a paradigm of quantum mechanical phase coherence. The phase coherence of transport through a quantum dot embedded in one arm of an open ring has been demonstrated. The energy spectrum of closed rings has only recently been analysed by optical experiments and is the basis for the prediction of persistent currents and related experiments. Here we report magnetotransport experiments on a ring-shaped semiconductor quantum dot in the Coulomb blockade regime. The measurements allow us to extract the discrete energy levels of a realistic ring, which are found to agree well with theoretical expectations. Such an agreement, so far only found for few-electron quantum dots, is here extended to a many-electron system. In a semiclassical language our results indicate that electron motion is governed by regular rather than chaotic motion, an unexplored regime in many-electron quantum dots.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Electronic properties of antidot lattices fabricated by atomic force lithography

Antidot lattices were fabricated by atomic force lithography using local oxidation. High quality finite 20 x20 lattices are demonstrated with periods of 300 nm. The low temperature magnetoresistance shows well developed commensurability oscillations as well as a quenching of the Hall effect around zero magnetic field. In addition, we find B periodic oscillations superimposed on the classical commensurability peaks at temperatures as high as 1.7 K. These observations indicate the high electronic quality of our samples.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Transport properties of quantum dots with hard walls

Quantum dots are fabricated in a Ga[Al]As-heterostructure by local oxidation with an atomic force microscope. This technique, in combination with top gate voltages, allows us to generate steep walls at the confining edges and small lateral depletion lengths. The confinement is characterized by low-temperature magnetotransport measurements, from which the dots' energy spectrum is reconstructed. We find that in small dots, the addition spectrum can qualitatively be described within a Fock-Darwin model. For a quantitative analysis, however, a hard-wall confinement has to be considered. In large dots, the energy level spectrum deviates even qualitatively from a Fock-Darwin model. The maximum wall steepness achieved is of the order of 0.4 meV/nm.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

In-plane gate single-electron transistor in Ga[Al]As fabricated by scanning probe lithography

A single-electron transistor has been realized in a Ga[Al]As heterostructure by oxidizing lines in the GaAs cap layer with an atomic force microscope. The oxide lines define the boundaries of the quantum dot, the in-plane gate electrodes, and the contacts of the dot to source and drain. Both the number of electrons in the dot as well as its coupling to the leads can be tuned with an additional, homogeneous top gate electrode. Pronounced Coulomb blockade oscillations are observed as a function of voltages applied to different gates. We find that, for positive top-gate voltages, the lithographic pattern is transferred with high accuracy to the electron gas. Furthermore, the dot shape does not change significantly when in-plane voltages are tuned.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗