Spin states of electrons in quantum dots upon heating. Simulation by the Feynman path integral method. Magnetic properties

Temperature dependences of spin states and spin paramagnetic susceptibility in ellipsoidal quantum dots (QDs) containing two or three electrons are numerically simulated using ab initio calculations based on the Feynman path integral method. Limits of the thermal stability of spin states are estimated. Upon cooling, the pairing of spins of an electron pair is most intense in spherical QDs; notably, prolate QDs hinder the pairing more strongly than the oblate ones. When the spherical shape of a QD is distorted, a characteristic peak in the temperature dependence of the electron-pair magnetic susceptibility shifts to lower temperatures. A spin of the system of three electrons may either increase or decrease upon cooling, depending on the QD shape. In the case of three electrons, strong spatial anisotropy of the electron-confining field causes a relative decrease in the energy of states with large spin values.