Coulomb blockade peak spacings: Interplay of spin and dot-lead coupling

Abstract

For Coulomb blockade peaks in the linear conductance of a quantum dot, we study the correction to the spacing between the peaks due to dot-lead coupling. This coupling can affect measurements in which Coulomb blockade phenomena are used as a tool to probe the energy level structure of quantum dots. The electron-electron interactions in the quantum dot are described by the constant exchange and interaction (CEI) model while the single-particle properties are described by random matrix theory. We find analytic expressions for both the average and rms mesoscopic fluctuation of the correction. For a realistic value of the exchange interaction constant J_s, the ensemble average correction to the peak spacing is two to three times smaller than that at J_s = 0. As a function of J_s, the average correction to the peak spacing for an even valley decreases monotonically, nonetheless staying positive. The rms fluctuation is of the same order as the average and weakly depends on J_s. For a small fraction of quantum dots in the ensemble, therefore, the correction to the peak spacing for the even valley is negative. The correction to the spacing in the odd valleys is opposite in sign to that in the even valleys and equal in magnitude. These results are robust with respect to the choice of the random matrix ensemble or change in parameters such as charging energy, mean level spacing, or temperature.