Magnetic control of electron scattering in silicene quantum dots

Abstract

The Klein tunnel effect phenomenon makes it impossible to permanently confine charge carriers in massless nanostructures. However, applying a constant magnetic field allows these electrons to be temporarily localized, thus forming quasi-bound states. In this study, we analyze the mechanism of electron diffusion through a silicene quantum dot (SQD) subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field. To enhance spatial localization, we exploit the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) specific to silicene, which generates a natural energy gap by acting as an effective mass. We first derive the solutions to the Dirac equation at low energy. Subsequently, by imposing the continuity conditions at the SQD interfaces, we obtain exact expressions for the diffusion coefficients. These results are then used to map the scattering efficiency together with the spatial distributions of probability and current densities. Our simulations demonstrate that the presence of this intrinsic gap significantly enhances electron trapping at the center of the SQD. Finally, we prove that the interplay between the external field and SOC breaks spin symmetry, thereby enabling robust and spin-selective confinement.