Flux-dependent transport through an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer with embedded multiple coupled quantum dots

Abstract

The electron transport through an Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer with embedded four coupled quantum dots (QDs) is studied with the Green's function technique. The QDs are coupled to each other by the hopping integral t(c). Two among them connect with the left lead and the other two with the right lead by the tunneling matrix element T which incorporates the effects of the applied magnetic field phi. The linear conductance spectra swap between the molecular levels and the atomic states by adjusting t(c) and T. Fano effect appears when the electrons tunnel through different channels contributed by different QDs energy levels, and the Fano resonance peaks split for large t(c). The Fano factor can be manipulated by t(c), T, phi, and the QD energy levels. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.