Analyzing the measured phase in the multichannel Aharonov–Bohm interferometer

Abstract We address the quantum dot phase measurement problem in an open Aharonov–Bohm interferometer, assuming multiple transport channels. In such a case, the quantum dot is characterized by more than one intrinsic phase for the electrons transmission. It is shown that the phase which would be extracted by the usual experimental method (i.e. by monitoring the shift of the Aharonov–Bohm oscillations, as in Schuster et al., Nature 385 (1997) 417) does not coincide with any of the dot intrinsic phases, but is a combination of them. The formula of the measured phase is given. The particular case of a quantum dot containing a S = 1 2 spin is discussed and variations of the measured phase with π are found, as a consequence of the multichannel transport.