Effect of inelastic scattering on the average Coulomb-blockade peak height in quantum dots

Abstract

The average height of the Coulomb-blockade conductance peaks for chaotic elastic scattering is known to increase by a factor of 4/3 upon breaking time-reversal symmetry. We calculate the temperature dependence of this factor in the regime that the inelastic scattering rate Gamma_in is greater than the mean tunneling rate Gamma_el, which itself is less than the mean level spacing Delta. Comparison with recent experimental data by Folk et al. (cond-mat/0008052) demonstrates that Gamma_in lies below Gamma_el and hence also below Delta, consistent with the low-energy suppression of inelastic electron-electron scattering in quantum dots.

3 pages including 1 figure; revised following referee report