Tuning the topological features of quantum-dot hydrogen and helium by a magnetic field

The topological charge of the spin texture in a quantum dot with spin-orbit couplings is shown analytically here to be stable against the ellipticity of the dot. It is directly tunable by a single magnetic field and is related to the sign of the Lande g factor. In a quantum-dot helium, the overall winding number could have a different property from that of the single-electron case (quantum-dot hydrogen), since tuning the number of electrons affects the winding number by the Coulomb interaction and the z component angular momentum < L-z >. The density profile and the spin texture influence each other when the Coulomb interaction is present. When < L-z > is biased away from an integer by the spin-orbit couplings, the rotational symmetry is broken which induces strong density deformation. The sign of the topological charge may also be reversed with increasing magnetic field. These findings are of major significance since the applied magnetic field alone now provides a direct route to control the topological properties of quantum dots.