Comment on "Do Intradot Electron-Electron Interactions Induce Dephasing?"

Abstract

In a recent Letter, Jiang, Sun, Xie and Wang [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 076802 (2004), cond-mat/0408261] study transport through an interacting quantum dot embedded in one arm of an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer. Based on a theoretical analysis of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillation amplitude, Jiang {\it et al.} claim, contrary to earlier work by two of us, that at finite temperature the intradot interaction will {\em not} lead to any dephasing. Likewise, they claim that the theoretically predicted and experimentally verified asymmetry of the Aharonov-Bohm oscillation amplitude is {\em not} associated with dephasing. In this Comment, we point out severe inconsistencies in the analysis of the Letter by Jian {\it et al.}, and show that their conclusions are ill-founded.