Electron-correlation driven capture and release in double quantum dots

Federico M. Pont, Annika Bande, Lorenz S. Cederbaum

Published 2014-12-29Version 1

We recently predicted that the interatomic Coulombic electron capture (ICEC) process, a long-range electron correlation driven capture process, is achievable in gated double quantum dots (DQDs) [F. M. Pont, A. Bande, L. S. Cederbaum, Phys. Rev. B {\bf 88} 241304(R)(2013)]. In ICEC an incoming electron is captured by one QD and the excess energy is used to remove an electron from the neighboring QD. In this work we present systematic full three-dimensional electron dynamics calculations in quasi-one dimensional model potentials that allow for a detailed understanding of the connection between the DQD geometry and the reaction probability for the ICEC process. Investigation of the electronic structure of various DQD geometries that are capable of undergoing the ICEC process clarify the offspring of its remarkably high probability in the presence of two electron resonances. The quasi-one dimensional geometry allows to construct an effective one-dimensional model whose results compare very well with those obtained using the full calculations.