Electronic structure of helium atom in a quantum dot

TL;DR

This study investigates the electronic structure of helium atoms confined in quantum dots, calculating bound and resonance states, and demonstrating how quantum dot parameters influence atomic stability and autoionization properties.

Contribution

It provides precise energy and resonance data for helium in quantum dots using correlated basis sets and stabilization method, highlighting the impact of confinement parameters.

Findings

Electronic properties are highly sensitive to quantum dot size.

Ionization potential varies with confinement parameters.

Autoionization lifetime can be controlled by cavity width.

Abstract

Bound and resonance states of helium atom have been investigated inside a quantum dot by using explicitly correlated Hylleraas type basis set within the framework of stabilization method. To be specific, precise energy eigenvalues of bound 1sns (1Se) [n = 1-6] states and the resonance parameters i.e. positions and widths of 1Se states due to 2sns [n = 2-5] and 2pnp [n = 2-5] configuration of confined helium below N = 2 ionization threshold of He+ have been estimated. The two-parameter (Depth and Width) finite oscillator potential is used to represent the confining potential representing the quantum dot. It has been explicitly demonstrated that electronic structure properties become a sensitive function of the dot size. It is observed from the calculations of ionization potential that the stability of an impurity ion within quantum dot may be manipulated by varying the confinement parameters. A possibility of controlling the autoionization lifetime of doubly excited states of two-electron ions by tuning the width of the quantum cavity is also discussed here.