  Exact-diagonalization calculations for N=3 electrons in anisotropic quantum
dots, covering a broad range of confinement anisotropies and strength of
inter-electron repulsion, are presented for zero and low magnetic fields. The
excitation spectra are analyzed as a function of the strength of the magnetic
field and for increasing quantum-dot anisotropy. Analysis of the intrinsic
structure of the many-body wave functions through spin-resolved two-point
correlations reveals that the electrons tend to localize forming Wigner
molecules. For certain ranges of dot parameters (mainly at strong anisotropy),
the Wigner molecules acquire a linear geometry, and the associated wave
functions with a spin projection S_z=1/2 are similar to the representative
class of strongly entangled states referred to as W-states. For other ranges of
parameters (mainly at intermediate anisotropy), the Wigner molecules exhibit a
more complex structure consisting of two mirror isosceles triangles. This
latter structure can be viewed as an embryonic unit of a zig-zag Wigner crystal
in quantum wires. The degree of entanglement in three-electron quantum dots can
be quantified through the use of the von Neumann entropy.

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics;Strongly Correlated Electrons;Computational Physics;Quantum Physics