title: Geometrical spin dephasing in quantum dots.
abstract: We study spin-orbit mediated relaxation and dephasing of electron spins in quantum dots. We show that higher order contributions provide a relaxation mechanism that dominates for low magnetic fields and is of geometrical origin. In the low-field limit relaxation is dominated by coupling to electron-hole excitations and possibly 1/f noise rather than phonons.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Theoretische Festkörperphysik and DFG-Center for Functional Nanostructures (CFN), Universität Karlsruhe, D-76128 Karlsruhe, Germany.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: San-Jose
authors.forename: Gergely
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zarand
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shnirman
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schön