Momentum distribution of electrons in parabolic quantum dots

M. GATTOBIGIO AND P. CAPUZZI

PHYSICAL REVIEW B - CONDENSED MATTER AND MATERIALS PHYSICS

Año: 2006 vol. 73 p. 235312 - 2353125

0163-1829

We investigate the momentum distribution of interacting electrons confined in a two-dimensional parabolic quantum dot for varying values of the interaction strength and for different number of electrons. We use an optimized Jastrow-type wave function for the ground state in which the Slater determinant part has been calculated using density-functional theory and evaluate the ground-state momentum distribution using the Fermi hypernetted-chain equations. We discuss the effects of interactions on the momentum distribution and reveal the existence of a shell structure in momentum space in analogy with what happens to the spatial density profile. The momentum distribution can thus be used as a further tool to investigate the effects of the interac- tion in parabolic quantum dots.