Optical Signatures of Spin-Orbit Interaction Effects in a Parabolic Quantum Dot

We demonstrate here that the dipole-allowed optical absorption spectrum of a parabolic quantum dot subjected to an external magnetic field reflects the inter-electron interaction effects when the spin-orbit interaction is also taken into account. We have investigated the energy spectra and the dipole-allowed transition energies for up to four interacting electrons parabolically confined, and have uncovered several novel features in those spectra that are solely due to the SO interaction.