Unique Spin Vortices in Quantum Dots with Spin-orbit Couplings

Spin textures of one or two electrons in a quantum dot with Rashba or Dresselhaus spin-orbit couplings reveal several intriguing properties. We show that even at the single-electron level spin vortices with different topological charges exist. These topological textures appear in the {\it ground state} of the dots. The textures are stabilized by time-reversal symmetry breaking and are robust against the eccentricity of the dot. The phenomenon persists for the interacting two-electron dot in the presence of a magnetic field.