Quantum states of interacting electrons in a 2D elliptical quantum dot

The quantum states of interacting electrons in a 2D elliptical quantum dot in a magnetic field are investigated. A Fock-Darwin basis is used to calculate energies of the ground and low-lying states of 2 and 3 electrons accurately while keeping the dimension of the Hamiltonian matrix manageable. Ground state transitions as a function magnetic field are studied and it is shown that only some of the transitions found in a circular dot survive in the lower symmetry of the elliptical dot. The surviving transitions are accompanied by changes in the total spin and parity of the ground state. Rules for predicting which transitions survive are given and some implications for experimental addition spectra are discussed. At zero field there is the possibility of observing different forms of addition spectra, depending on whether the ratio of the x and y confinement energies is rational or irrational. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.