Control of the persistent currents in two interacting quantum rings through the Coulomb interaction and inter-ring tunneling

TL;DR

This paper investigates how Coulomb interaction and inter-ring tunneling influence persistent currents and ground states in coupled quantum rings with few electrons, revealing significant effects on system behavior.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed analysis of the combined effects of Coulomb interaction and tunneling on persistent currents in coupled quantum rings, highlighting their impact on ground state configurations.

Findings

Coulomb interaction affects persistent currents without tunneling.

Quantum tunneling significantly alters ground states.

Persistent currents are sensitive to inter-ring coupling.

Abstract

The persistent current in two vertically coupled quantum rings containing few electrons is studied. We find that the Coulomb interaction between the rings in the absence of tunneling affects the persistent current in each ring and the ground state configurations. Quantum tunneling between the rings alters significantly the ground state and the persistent current in the system.