Imaging a One Dimensional Quantum Dot in an InAs/InP Nanowire

Nanowires are promising contenders for use in novel spintronic and nanoelectronic devices. An InAs/InP nanowire containing a long InAs quantum dot (length$>$2xdiameter), is an ideal system to use a liquid He-4 cooled scanning gate microscope tip to probe electron behavior. This increased understanding would help in the design of quantum devices. For a few electron long dot, no excited states in the transverse direction will be occupied, making the system 1D. The electron density in these systems will change their state, as a function of dot length, from a liquid state to a Wigner-crystal like state[1]. Using a weak tip potential, it should be possible to probe this spatial distribution of the electron probability. By applying a large tip potential, and using the transitions between different partitionings of the dot, information on the relative strength of the electron interaction could be obtained. [1] Jiang Qian et. al arXiv:0809.0834 (September 2008)