Spin-dependent transport through quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how spin polarization affects electron coherence in quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometers, linking the visibility of interference patterns to the ferromagnetic lead's spin polarization.

Contribution

It identifies specific transport regimes where coherence relates to Aharonov-Bohm oscillation visibility and calculates this relationship based on spin polarization.

Findings

Coherence degree correlates with Aharonov-Bohm oscillation visibility.

Visibility depends on the ferromagnetic lead's spin polarization.

Transport regimes with identifiable coherence properties are characterized.

Abstract

We study the influence of spin polarization on the degree of coherence of electron transport through interacting quantum dots. To this end, we identify transport regimes in which the degree of coherence can be related to the visibility of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in the current through a quantum-dot Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with one normal and one ferromagnetic lead. For these regimes, we calculate the visibility and, thus, the degree of coherence, as a function of the degree of spin polarization of the ferromagnetic lead.