The weak localization correction to the polarization and persistent currents in mesoscopic metal rings

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron-electron interactions, specifically the weak localization correction to polarization, influence persistent currents in mesoscopic metal rings, revealing that exchange interactions significantly contribute to the current.

Contribution

It explicitly calculates the exchange interaction contribution to persistent current, linking weak localization effects to electron-electron interactions in mesoscopic rings.

Findings

Exchange contribution matches the magnitude of the canonical current without interactions.

Weak localization correction determines the exchange contribution to persistent current.

Exchange interactions with small momentum transfers are significant in mesoscopic rings.

Abstract

We re-examine the effect of electron-electron interactions on the persistent current in mesoscopic metal rings threaded by an Aharonov-Bohm flux. The exchange contribution to the current is shown to be determined by the weak localization correction to the polarization. We explicitly calculate the contribution from exchange interactions with momentum transfers smaller than the inverse elastic mean free path to the average current, and find that it has the same order of magnitude as the {\it{canonical}} current without interactions. \\