Electronic structure of nuclear-spin-polarization-induced quantum dots

TL;DR

This paper explores how localized nuclear spin polarization in a heterostructure can confine electrons into quantum dots, with properties influenced by nuclear spin relaxation and diffusion, offering insights into nuclear spin interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method of creating quantum dots via nuclear spin polarization and models their time-dependent behavior due to spin relaxation and diffusion processes.

Findings

Electron energy levels are time-dependent due to nuclear spin dynamics.

Nuclear-spin-polarization-induced quantum dots can be experimentally studied.

Electron confinement is modeled by a diffusion equation with relaxation.

Abstract

We study a system in which electrons in a two-dimensional electron gas are confined by a nonhomogeneous nuclear spin polarization. The system consists of a heterostructure that has non-zero nuclei spins. We show that in this system electrons can be confined into a dot region through a local nuclear spin polarization. The nuclear-spin-polarization-induced quantum dot has interesting properties indicating that electron energy levels are time-dependent because of the nuclear spin relaxation and diffusion processes. Electron confining potential is a solution of diffusion equation with relaxation. Experimental investigations of the time-dependence of electron energy levels will result in more information about nuclear spin interactions in solids.