Tuning Fano resonances by magnetic forces for electron transport through a quantum wire side coupled to a quantum ring

We consider electron transport in a quantum wire with a side-coupled quantum ring in a two-dimensional model that accounts for a finite width of the channels. We use the finite difference technique to solve the scattering problem as well as to determine the ring-localized states of the energy continuum. The backscattering probability exhibits Fano peaks for magnetic fields for which a ring-localized states appear at the Fermi level. We find that the width of the Fano resonances changes at high magnetic field. The width is increased (decreased) for resonant states with current circulation that produce the magnetic dipole moment that is parallel (antiparallel) to the external magnetic field. We indicate that the opposite behavior of Fano resonances due to localized states with clockwise and counterclockwise currents results from the magnetic forces which change the strength of their coupling to the channel and modify the lifetime of localized states. ©2010 The American Physical Society