arXiv subjects

M. Manninen

Publications and source records attributed to M. Manninen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Universal vortex formation in rotating traps with bosons and fermions

When a system consisting of many interacting particles is set rotating, it may form vortices. This is familiar to us from every-day life: you can observe vortices while stirring your coffee or watching a hurricane. In the world of quantum mechanics, famous examples of vortices are superconducting films and rotating bosonic $^4$He or fermionic $^3$He liquids. Vortices are also observed in rotating Bose-Einstein condensates in atomic traps and are predicted to exist for paired fermionic atoms. Here we show that the rotation of trapped particles with a repulsive interaction leads to a similar vortex formation, regardless of whether the particles are bosons or (unpaired) fermions. The exact, quantum mechanical many-particle wave function provides evidence that in fact, the mechanism of this vortex formation is the same for boson and fermion systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2004

Sodium atoms and clusters on graphite: a density functional study

Sodium atoms and clusters (N<5) on graphite (0001) are studied using density functional theory, pseudopotentials and periodic boundary conditions. A single Na atom is observed to bind at a hollow site 2.45 A above the surface with an adsorption energy of 0.51 eV. The small diffusion barrier of 0.06 eV indicates a flat potential energy surface. Increased Na coverage results in a weak adsorbate-substrate interaction, which is evident in the larger separation from the surface in the cases of Na_3, Na_4, Na_5, and the (2x2) Na overlayer. The binding is weak for Na_2, which has a full valence electron shell. The presence of substrate modifies the structures of Na_3, Na_4, and Na_5 significantly, and both Na_4 and Na_5 are distorted from planarity. The calculated formation energies suggest that clustering of atoms is energetically favorable, and that the open shell clusters (e.g. Na_3 and Na_5) can be more abundant on graphite than in the gas phase. Analysis of the lateral charge density distributions of Na and Na_3 shows a charge transfer of about 0.5 electrons in both cases.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2003

Energy spectrum, persistent current and electron localization in quantum rings

Energy spectra of quasi-one-dimensional quantum rings with a few electrons are studied using several different theoretical methods. Discrete Hubbard models and continuum models are shown to give similar results governed by the special features of the one-dimensionality. The energy spectrum of the many-body system can be described with a rotation-vibration spectrum of a 'Wigner molecule' of 'localized' electrons, combined with the spin-state determined from an effective antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Hamiltonian. The persistent current as a function of magnetic flux through the ring shows periodic oscillations arising from the 'rigid rotation' of the electron ring. For polarized electrons the periodicity of the oscillations is always the flux quantum Phi_0. For nonpolarized electrons the periodicity depends on the strength of the effective Heisenberg coupling and changes from Φ_0 first to Phi_0/2 and eventually to Phi_0/N when the ring gets narrower.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Electron-hole bilayer quantum dots: Phase diagram and exciton localization

We studied a vertical ``quantum dot molecule'', where one of the dots is occupied with electrons and the other with holes. We find that different phases occur in the ground state, depending on the carrier density and the interdot distance. When the system is dominated by shell structure, orbital degeneracies can be removed either by Hund's rule, or by Jahn-Teller deformation. Both mechanisms can lead to a maximum of the addition energy at mid-shell. At low densities and large interdot distances, bound electron-hole pairs are formed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Quantum rings for beginners: Energy spectra and persistent currents

Theoretical approaches to one-dimensional and quasi-one-dimensional quantum rings with a few electrons are reviewed. Discrete Hubbard-type models and continuum models are shown to give similar results governed by the special features of the one-dimensionality. The energy spectrum of the many-body states can be described by a rotation-vibration spectrum of a 'Wigner molecule' of 'localized' electrons, combined with the spin-state determined from an effective antiferromagnetic Heisenberg Hamiltonian. The persistent current as a function of the magnetic flux through the ring shows periodic oscillations arising from the 'rigid rotation' of the electron ring. For polarized electrons the periodicity of the oscillations is always the flux quantum Phi_0. For nonpolarized electrons the periodicity depends on the strength of the effective Heisenberg coupling and changes from Phi_0 first to Phi_0/2 and eventually to Phi_0/N when the ring gets narrower.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Persistent Currents in Small, Imperfect Hubbard Rings

We have done a study with small, imperfect Hubbard rings with exact diagonalization. The results for few-electron rings show, that the imperfection, whether localized or not, nearly always decrease, but can also \emph{increase} the persistent current, depending on the character of the imperfection and the on-site interaction. The calculations are generally in agreement with more specialized studies. In most cases the electron spin plays an important role.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Exchange-correlation energy of a multicomponent two-dimensional electron gas

We discuss the exchange-correlation energy of a multicomponent (multi-valley) two-dimensional electron gas and show that an extension of the recent parametrisation of the exchange-correlation energy by Attacalite et al (Phys. Rev. Lett. 88, 256601 (2002)) describes well also the multicomponent system. We suggest a simple mass dependence of the correlation energy and apply it to study the phase diagram of the multicomponent 2D electron (or hole) gas. The results show that even a small mass difference of the components (e.g. heavy and light holes) decreases the concentration of the lighter components already at relatively high densities.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Close-Packing of Clusters: Application to Al_100

The lowest energy configurations of close-packed clusters up to N=110 atoms with stacking faults are studied using the Monte Carlo method with Metropolis algorithm. Two types of contact interactions, a pair-potential and a many-atom interaction, are used. Enhanced stability is shown for N=12, 26, 38, 50, 59, 61, 68, 75, 79, 86, 100 and 102, of which only the sizes 38, 75, 79, 86, and 102 are pure FCC clusters, the others having stacking faults. A connection between the model potential and density functional calculations is studied in the case of Al_100. The density functional calculations are consistent with the experimental fact that there exist epitaxially grown FCC clusters starting from relatively small cluster sizes. Calculations also show that several other close-packed motifs existwith comparable total energies.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv2003

Fractional Periodicity of Persistent Currents: A Signature of Broken Internal Symmetry

We show from the symmetries of the many body Hamiltonian, cast into the form of the Heisenberg (spin) Hamiltonian, that the fractional periodicities of persistent currents are due to the breakdown of internal symmetry and the spin Hamiltonian holds the explanation to this transition. Numerical diagonalizations are performed to show this explicitely. Persistent currents therefore, provide an easy way to experimentally verify broken internal symmetry in electronic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2001

Many-body spectrum and particle localization in quantum dots and finite rotating Bose condensates

The yrast spectra (i.e. the lowest states for a given total angular momentum) of quantum dots in strong magnetic fields, are studied in terms of exact numerical diagonalization and analytic trial wave functions. We argue that certain features (cusps) in the many-body spectrum can be understood in terms of particle localization due to the strong field. A new class of trial wavefunctions supports the picture of the electrons being localized in Wigner molecule-like states consisting of consecutive rings of electrons, with low-lying excitations corresponding to rigid rotation of the outer ring of electrons. The geometry of the Wigner molecule is independent of interparticle interactions and the statistics of the particles.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Current-spin-density functional study of persistent currents in quantum rings

We present a numerical study of persistent currents in quantum rings using current spin density functional theory (CSDFT). This formalism allows for a systematic study of the joint effects of both spin, interactions and impurities for realistic systems. It is illustrated that CSDFT is suitable for describing the physical effects related to Aharonov-Bohm phases by comparing energy spectra of impurity-free rings to existing exact diagonalization and experimental results. Further, we examine the effects of a symmetry-breaking impurity potential on the density and current characteristics of the system and propose that narrowing the confining potential at fixed impurity potential will suppress the persistent current in a characteristic way.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Heat Capacity of Mesoscopic Superconducting Disks

We study the heat capacity of isolated giant vortex states, which are good angular momentum ($L$) states, in a mesoscopic superconducting disk using the Ginzburg-Landau (GL) theory. At small magnetic fields the $L$=0 state qualitatively behaves like the bulk sample characterized by a discontinuity in heat capacity at $T_c$. As the field is increased the discontinuity slowly turns into a continuous change which is a finite size effect. The higher $L$ states show a continuous change in heat capacity at $T_c$ at all fields. We also show that for these higher $L$ states, the behavior of the peak position with change in field is related to the paramagnetic Meissner effect (irreversible) and can lead to an unambiguous observation of positive magnetization in mesoscopic superconductors.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

On the formation of Wigner molecules in small quantum dots

It was recently argued that in small quantum dots the electrons could crystallize at much higher densities than in the infinite two-dimensional electron gas. We compare predictions that the onset of spin polarization and the formation of Wigner molecules occurs at a density parameter $r_s\approx 4 a_B^*$ to the results of a straight-forward diagonalization of the Hamiltonian matrix.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Rotational and vibrational spectra of quantum rings

One can confine the two-dimensional electron gas in semiconductor heterostructures electrostatically or by etching techniques such that a small electron island is formed. These man-made ``artificial atoms'' provide the experimental realization of a text-book example of many-particle physics: a finite number of quantum particles in a trap. Much effort was spent on making such "quantum dots" smaller and going from the mesoscopic to the quantum regime. Far-reaching analogies to the physics of atoms, nuclei or metal clusters were obvious from the very beginning: The concepts of shell structure and Hund's rules were found to apply -- just as in real atoms! In this Letter, we report the discovery that electrons confined in ring-shaped quantum dots form rather rigid molecules with antiferromagnetic order in the ground state. This can be seen best from an analysis of the rotational and vibrational excitations.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2000

Thermal expansion in small metal clusters and its impact on the electric polarizability

The thermal expansion coefficients of $\mathrm{Na}_{N}$ clusters with $8 \le N \le 40$ and $\mathrm{Al}_{7}$, $\mathrm{Al}_{13}^-$ and $\mathrm{Al}_{14}^-$ are obtained from {\it ab initio} Born-Oppenheimer LDA molecular dynamics. Thermal expansion of small metal clusters is considerably larger than that in the bulk and size-dependent. We demonstrate that the average static electric dipole polarizability of Na clusters depends linearly on the mean interatomic distance and only to a minor extent on the detailed ionic configuration when the overall shape of the electron density is enforced by electronic shell effects. The polarizability is thus a sensitive indicator for thermal expansion. We show that taking this effect into account brings theoretical and experimental polarizabilities into quantitative agreement.

physics.atm-clus↗

arXiv1999

Broken Symmetries in the Reconstruction of v=1 Quantum Hall Edges

Spin-polarized reconstruction of the v=1 quantum Hall edge is accompanied by a spatial modulation of the charge density along the edge. We find that this is also the case for finite quantum Hall droplets: current spin density functional calculations show that the so-called Chamon-Wen edge forms a ring of apparently localized electrons around the maximum density droplet (MDD). The boundaries of these different phases qualitatively agree with recent experiments. For very soft confinement, Chern-Simons Ginzburg-Landau theory indicates formation of a non-translational invariant edge with vortices (holes) trapped in the edge region.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Ellipsoidal deformation of vertical quantum dots

Addition energy spectra at 0 T of circular and ellipsoidally deformed few-electron vertical quantum dots are measured and compared to results of model calculations within spin-density functional theory. Because of the rotational symmetry of the lateral harmonic confining potential, circular dots show a pronounced shell structure. With the lifting of the single- particle level degeneracies, even a small deformation is found to radically alter the shell structure leading to significant modifications in the addition energy spectra. Breaking the circular symmetry with deformation also induces changes in the total spin. This "piezo-magnetic" behavior of quantum dots is discussed, and the addition energies for a set of realistic deformation parameters are provided. For the case of the four-electron ground state at 0 T, a spin-triplet to spin-singlet transition is predicted, i.e. Hund's first rule no longer applies. Application of a magnetic field parallel to the current confirms that this is the case, and also suggests that the anisotropy of an elliptical dot, in practice, may be higher than that suggested by the geometry of the device mesa in which the dot is located.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv1999

Quantum dots in magnetic fields: Phase diagram and broken symmetry of the Chamon-Wen edge

Quantum dots in magnetic fields are studied within the current spin density functional formalism avoiding any spatial symmetry restrictions of the solutions. We find that the maximum density droplet reconstructs into states with broken internal symmetry: The Chamon-Wen edge co-exists with a modulation of the charge density along the edge. The phase boundaries between the polarization transition, the maximum density droplet and its reconstruction are in agreement with recent experimental results.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗