Motivated by recent experiments [A. Lorke et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2223 (2000)] an analysis of the ground state and far-infrared absorption of two electrons confined in a quantum ring is presented. The height of the repulsive central barrier in the confining potential is shown to influence, in an important way, the ring properties. The experiments are best explained assuming the presence of both high- and low-barrier quantum rings in the sample. The formation of a two-electron Wigner molecule in certain cases is discussed.

• Received 29 June 2000

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.63.125334