Magnetization in short-period mesoscopic electron systems

Vidar Gudmundsson, Sigurdur I. Erlingsson, Andrei Manolescu

Published 1999-10-28, updated 1999-11-24Version 2

We calculate the magnetization of the two-dimensional electron gas in a short-period lateral superlattice, with the Coulomb interaction included in Hartree and Hartree-Fock approximations. We compare the results for a finite, mesoscopic system modulated by a periodic potential, with the results for the infinite periodic system. In addition to the expected strong exchange effects, the size of the system, the type and the strength of the lateral modulation leave their fingerprints on the magnetization.