quantum dots

quantized level spacing (from quantum confinement) plays role

requires relatively low electron numbers (semiconductors) and thus a very small island
(why?)

single molecule self-assembled QD gate-defined GaAs QD nanotube

1 nm 10 nm 100 nm 1µm
classical dot: regular spaced Coulomb peaks

quantum dot: irregular spaced Coulomb peaks

addition energy: Coulomb blockade peak spacing

U(N)= [ e(N-N0) - CGVG ]2 /2C + ΣΝ Εn,l

Recall parabola: for any given voltage, there is some N that minimizes the energy U
N0 is the number of electrons at VG =0
En,l are the quantized orbital energies on the dot

µ (N)= U(N) - U(N-1) = (N - N0 -1/2) e2/C – e (CG/CΣ)VG + EN

EN is the quantized energy level occupied by the N-th electron

Peak spacing in energy (= addition energy)

∆µ (N) = µ(N+1) - µ(N)
= e2/C + EN+1 - EN
= e2/C + ∆E
Note that ∆E is zero when the N+1-th and N-th electron occupy the same orbital
quantum dot Coulomb diamonds

Differences with SET?

few-electron dots as artificial atoms

Kouwenhoven et al., Science 278, 1788 (`97)

 level spectroscopy: excited states

µ (N +1)

µe (N )
• when an excited level enters the
∆E µS transport window, an additional
m
µSS DE transport channel opens up
µ (N ) (N)
m(N) mD
µ m mD
µD
leading to a step-wise increase of
the current. In the differential
resistance (which is often plotted
in the stability diagram), these
steps appear as lines running
parallel to the diamond edges (red
lines)

• the energy of the excited state can

Vsd

directly be read off from the

∆E diagram as indicated in the figure
0
• excitations can probe electronic,
N N+1 spin or vibrational states

VG
 spin states in quantum dots
2 Hanson et al, PRL 91, 196802 (2003)

ES
VSD (mV)

B=0 B>0
0 N=0
GS ↓
gµBB
-2
0T ↑
2
|g|=0.44

∆EZ (meV)
0.2
VSD (mV)

N=1
0 N=1 N=0 N=0
0.1

-2
6T 10 T
0
-657 VT (mV) -675 -995 VR (mV) -1010 0 5 10 15
B// (T)
vibration assisted tunnelling in a C60 transistor

single electron tunneling events excite and

probe the mechanical motion of the C60
bucky ball

vibrational mode adds another transport

channel: step in current-voltage characteristic

H. Park et al. Nature 407, 57 (2000)

level spectroscopy single-wall nanotube quantum
dot
tube length L = 180 nm
current

give an estimate of the charging energy and the level spacing

dI/dV

expected level
spacing: hvF/2L =
1.7 meV / L [in µm]

S. Sapmaz et al. PRB 71 (2005) 153402

 current-voltage characteristic quantum dot
Current-voltage characteristic shows step-wise low bias:blockade high bias: transport
increase (discrete level structure on the dot; µ (N +1)
µ (N +1)
note the difference in the energy diagram with ∆+e/C
a classical dot)!
• •µ
µ •(N ) (N ) • •µ
µ •(N ) (N ) eV
µ µ
µS µD µS µD
• S µ((N
N -1) • S µ((N
N -1)
Conductance on resonance reaches the
conductance quantum value indicating perfect
transmission, despite the fact that the two
VG VG
individual barriers can have T<<1!!!!

1.0
1.0 model: one level located
5 meV from the Fermi

0.0 dI/dV
0.5
I/Imax

E0 = 5 meV

-1.0
0.0
-20 -10 0 10 20 -20 -10 0 10 20
Voltage (mV) Voltage (mV)
 in more detail: current flow through a single level

No current flows if : f1(ε) = f2(ε)

a level that is well below µ1 and µ2 has f1(ε) = f2(ε) = 1
γ γ a level that is well above µ1 and µ2 has f1(ε) = f2(ε) = 0
L R γL γR
no no
ε
current current
eV eV
ε

Current only flows when the level lies between the γL γR

two electrochemical potentials (transport window)
ε
eV

current
flows
 broadening
γL γR

ε
eV
What happens if the coupling gets stronger and stronger?

Lorentzian DOS Delta function DOS

γL γR

ε
eV

Lorentzian DOS
 maximum conductance of a single level is the
conductance quantum

for asymmetric coupling the

conductance is lower (spin not
included): γ1 >> γ2: G = (γ2/ γ1) e2/h

assumptions: small bias, low T, no spin and at resonance

 at low temperatures: analytical solution
current shows step as resonance
T = 0: f1-f2 = 1 for 0< E <eV and zero otherwise crosses bias window
Γ1=Γ2

current in units Γ1/(2RQ)

Including spin and for symmetric barriers: 2
Γ=0.01
Γ=0.05
Γ=0.1

eV / 2
2e γ 1γ 2 0
h −eV∫ / 2 ( E − ε )2 + (γ / 2)2
I= dE
eV / 2 −ε ε = 0.5 eV
2eγ 1γ 2 1 -2
I= ∫ 2
h −eV / 2−ε ( E − ε ) + (γ / 2) 2
d( E − ε )

4e γ 1γ 2   eV − ε   − eV − ε   -2 -1 0 1 2
I=  arctan 
 2 
 − arctan  2  
h γ1 + γ 2   γ   γ  Voltage (V)

dI/dV shows Lorentzian shape

1.0 Γ1=Γ2
Γ=0.01

dI/dV in units of 2e2/h

Why does the step/peak occur at 2ε? Γ=0.05
Γ=0.1

γ1 γ2 γ1 γ2
0.5
ε eV/2 ε
eV/2

0.0
-2 -1 0 1 2
Voltage (V)
an example of a measured IV: spin-crossover
molecule
T=6K
mechanically controlled break junction technique

compare: single-barrier tunneling

(Simmons model; right panel)

Indicate three differences with the ideal

theory discussed in the slides before ……

tunneling
through a
single barrier
 temperature effects
zero-bias conductance of a single-electron transistor

peak broadens with temperature,

T but peak height is independent
of temperature (in the Coulomb
blockade regime)
 temperature effects
zero-bias conductance of a quantum dot
Quantum dots: the conductance of the Coulomb peak maximum increases as
temperature is lowered, approaching perfect transmission for T → 0 K
(resonant transmission through a single level)
dI/dV (µS)

T = 0.3 K
T=1K

FWHM (mV)
T=3K 10
4

dI/dV|max (µS)
5
1
0
0 2 4
2 T (K)

0 0
-5 0 5 0 2 4
VG (mV) T (K)

Calculations are performed with Γ = 109 1/s and a gate coupling of 0.1 in the regime Γ < kBT.
 quantum-classical cross-over
quantum classical (SET)
1 level continuum

T-dependent T-independent

kBT vs. level spacing

4.52

3.5

Foxman et al., Phys. Rev. B 50 (1994) 14193

cross-over to lifetime broadening

hΓ << kBT hΓ >> kBT

Foxman et al., Phys. Rev. B 47 (1993) 10020

 (metallic) SETs vs. quantum dots

• quantum dots: addition energy contains level spacing

level spectroscopy: discrete energy spectrum can be measured

• current-voltage characteristic and T-dependence Coulomb peak are

different

• quantum dots: manipulation of a single electrons and spins

 Is it a quantum dot?

step-wise increase in I-V

irregular gate trace

Coulomb peak height increases

when temperature is lowered
 not so weak coupling to the leads: higher-order
processes (Γ~U)
µ (N +1) µ (N +1)
µ (N +1) µ (N +1)

m
µSS mS DE
µe (N) DE
m
µSS mS
m(N) mD
µ DE µS m(N) mD
µ DE
∆Ε
m(N)
∆Ε mD
µ µS
m(N) mD
µ
µ (Ν) µ (Ν)
µ (Ν)

inelastic co-tunneling: excitation spectrum Kondo-effect (elastic): spin filling

Vsd
Vsd

∆E
0 N N+1 0 even odd

VG VG