Temperature dependence of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations and the energy spectrum in a single-mode ballistic ring

The temperature dependence of the amplitude of the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) oscillations in a single mode ballistic ring has been measured. The experimental data is analyzed using the exact energy spectrum of an ideal ring with a finite width and the Landauer-Buttiker formula to calculate the conductance of the ring. We show that the temperature dependence of the AB oscillations can be explained in terms of the thermally averaged transmission probability through the energy levels of the ring provided the additional charging energy is taken into account. This demonstrates the effect of Coulomb repulsion on the AB oscillations in a ring interferometer.