Spin and valley control in single and double electrostatic silicene quantum dots

We study quantum dots defined electrostatically in silicene. We determine the spin-valley structure of confined single- and two-electron systems, and quantify the effects of the intervalley scattering by the electron-electron interaction potential and the crystal edge. The double quantum dots are discussed in the context of the spatial symmetry of the extended orbitals. We determine the charge, spin, and valley transitions induced by alternate electric fields. We show that the valley transition times can be changed within several orders of magnitude by tuning the confinement potential and the coupling of the confined states to the edge of the flake. The spin transition rates can be enhanced by orders of magnitude by the coupling of the bonding and antibonding orbitals mediated by the Rashba spin-orbit interaction.