Quantum dots with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

We present results on the effects of spin-orbit coupling on the electronic structure of few-electron interacting quantum dots. The ground-state properties as a function of the number of electrons in the dot $N$ are calculated by means of spin density functional theory. We find a suppression of Hund's rule due to the competition of the Rashba effect and exchange interaction. Introducing an in-plane Zeeman field leads to a paramagnetic behavior of the dot in a closed shell configuration, and to spin texture in space.