Maximum-density-droplet formation in hard-wall quantum dots

We study the effects of an external magnetic field on hard-wall quantum dots of various geometries by using the spin-density-functional theory. Starting from the single-electron spectra, we study the role of interactions by examining the spin development as a function of the magnetic field strength. The chemical potentials of the fully polarized states reveal a maximum-density-droplet window in all geometries. The electron density distribution in this regime differs considerably from parabolic dots, showing strong localization due to the dominant Coulomb interaction.