Imaging Electron Wave Functions Inside Open Quantum Rings

Abstract

Combining Scanning Gate Microscopy (SGM) experiments and simulations, we demonstrate low temperature imaging of electron probability density $|\hat{I}¨{|}^2(x,y)$ in embedded mesoscopic quantum rings (QRs). The tip-induced conductance modulations share the same temperature dependence as the Aharonov-Bohm effect, indicating that they originate from electron wavefunction interferences. Simulations of both $|\hat{I}¨{|}^2(x,y)$ and SGM conductance maps reproduce the main experimental observations and link fringes in SGM images to $|\hat{I}¨{|}^2(x,y)$.

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