Tunnel magnetoresistance in quantum dots in the presence of singlet and triplet states.

We study transport through a two-level quantum dot (QD) weakly coupled to ferromagnetic electrodes, the mutual magnetization orientation of which can be changed from a parallel to an antiparallel configuration. Calculations are performed in a sequential tunnelling regime taking into account an inter-level Coulomb and an exchange interaction on the QD with many-body electronic states. Our interests are mainly focused on the role of singlet and triplet states on the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR). We have found that TMR characteristics strongly depend on different local spin configurations in the QD, which originate from an anti- or ferromagnetic exchange coupling J as well as its strength. A strong inter-channel Coulomb blockade (which influences the TMR) appears when the ground state is singly occupied. Activation of the singlet or the triplet states and competition between various tunnelling rates are responsible for the spin accumulation even in the parallel configuration. We have also found negative TMR and negative differential resistance (NDR) effects in the system with strong coupling asymmetry.