Momentum distribution of electrons in parabolic quantum dots

Abstract

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 interaction in parabolic quantum dots. © 2006 The American Physical Society.