Bistability of persistent currents in mesoscopic rings

TL;DR

This paper investigates the multistability and Coulomb blockade phenomena in mesoscopic rings with persistent currents influenced by magnetic flux, revealing flux-dependent behaviors similar to external potentials in heterostructures.

Contribution

It demonstrates the presence of multistability and Coulomb blockade in mesoscopic rings with finite-length stubs, highlighting the role of magnetic flux in these phenomena.

Findings

Multistability processes are observed in the system.

Coulomb blockade effects are demonstrated.

Persistent currents depend on magnetic flux.

Abstract

We study the persistent currents flowing in a mesoscopic ring threaded by a magnetic flux and connected to a stub of finite length. Multistability processes and Coulomb blockade are demonstrated to be present in this system. These properties are functions of the magnetic flux crossing the ring which plays the role that the external applied potential fulfills in the multistability behaviour of the standard mesoscopic heterostructures.