Theory of interacting parallel quantum wires

Abstract

We present self-consistent numerical calculations of the electronic structure of parallel Coulomb-confined quantum wires, based on the Hohenberg–Kohn–Sham density functional theory of inhomogeneous electron systems. We find that the corresponding transverse energy levels of two parallel wires lock together when the wires' widths are similar and their separation is not too small. This energy-level locking is an effect of Coulomb interactions and of the density of states singularities that are characteristic of quasi-one-dimensional fermionic systems. In dissimilar parallel wires, level lockings are much less likely to occur. Energy-level locking in similar wires persists to quite large wire separations, but is gradually suppressed by inter-wire tunneling when the separation becomes small. The experimental implications of these theoretical results are discussed.