Ground state structure and conductivity of quantum wires of infinite length and finite width

Abstract

We have studied the ground state structure of quantum strips within the local spin-density approximation, for a range of electronic densities between $\sim$ 5$\times 10^4$ and 2$\times 10^6$ cm${}^{-1}$ and several strengths of the lateral confining potential. The results have been used to address the conductance $G$ of quantum strips. At low density, when only one subband is occupied, the system is fully polarized and $G$ takes a value which is close to 0.7(2e${}^2/h$), decreasing with increasing electron density in agreement with experiments. At higher densities the system becomes paramagnetic and $G$ takes a value near (2e${}^2/h$), showing a similar decreasing behaviour with increasing electron density. In both cases, the physical parameter that determines the value of the conductance is the ratio $K/K_0$ of the compressibility of the system over the free one.

Accepted for publication in Physical Review B