Thermodynamic properties of parabolic quantum dots with Rashba spin-orbit interaction

Abstract The effects of the Rashba spin–orbit interaction and external electric and magnetic fields on the thermodynamic properties of parabolic quantum dots are investigated. An explicit partition function is derived, and thermodynamic quantities, including specific heat, entropy, and magnetic susceptibility, are analyzed. The behavior of Shannon entropy-related thermodynamic quantities is examined under varying magnetic fields and Hamiltonian parameters through numerical analysis. The results reveal a pronounced Schottky anomaly in the heat capacity at lower temperatures. The susceptibility exhibits a progressive enhancement and transitions to higher values with changes in the quantum dot parameters. In the presence of the Rashba spin–orbit interaction, the specific heat increases with temperature, reaches a peak, and then decreases to zero. Additionally, the susceptibility increases with the β parameter for varying Rashba spin–orbit interaction coefficients, and at a fixed temperature, it further increases with the Rashba coefficient.