Electron Correlations in a Quantum Dot with Bychkov-Rashba Coupling

We report on a theoretical approach developed to investigate the influence of Bychkov-Rashba interaction on a few interacting electrons confined in a quantum dot. We note that the spin-orbit coupling profoundly influences the energy spectrum of interacting electrons in a quantum dot. Inter-electron interaction causes level crossings in the ground state and a jump in magnetization. As the coupling strength is increased, that jump is shifted to lower magnetic fields. Low-field magnetization will therefore provide a direct probe of the spin-orbit coupling strength in a quantum dot.