Onset of glassy dynamics in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon

The fluctuations of conductivity sigma with time have been studied in a two-dimensional electron system in low-mobility Si inversion layers. The noise power spectrum is approximately 1/f(alpha) with alpha exhibiting a sharp jump at an electron density n(s) = n(g). A huge increase in the relative variance of sigma is observed as n(s) is reduced below n(g), reflecting a dramatic slowing down of the electron dynamics. This is attributed to the freezing of the electron glass. The data strongly suggest that glassy dynamics persists in the metallic phase.     

Magnetic-field dependence of the anomalous noise behavior in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon

Studies of low-frequency resistance noise show that the dramatic change in the dynamics of the two-dimensional electron system (2DES) in Si that occurs near the metal-insulator transition (MIT) persists in high parallel magnetic fields B such that the 2DES is fully spin polarized. This strongly suggests that charge, as opposed to spin, degrees of freedom are responsible for this effect. In the metallic phase, however, noise is suppressed by a parallel B, pointing to the role of spins. At low B, the temperature dependence of conductivity in the metallic phase provides evidence for a MIT.     

Inductive excitation of a two-dimensional electron system

The possibility of measuring the off-diagonal component of the magnetoconductivity tensor of a two-dimensional electron gas excited by a linear alternating current is discussed.     

Phase diagram of a two-dimensional electron system

The melting curve of the two-dimensional electron system is interpolated between the known classical and ground state limits. The coexistence curve encloses a finite solid-phase domain, as in the three-dimensional case.     

Bichromatic microwave photoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system

We explore experimentally bichromatic (frequencies omega(1) and omega(2)) photoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system in the regimes of microwave-induced resistance oscillations and zero-resistance states. We find bichromatic resistance to be well described by a superposition of omega(1) and omega(2) and components, provided that both monochromatic resistances are positive. This relation holds even when the oscillation amplitudes are small and one could expect additive contributions from monochromatic photoresistances. In contrast, whenever a zero-resistance state is formed by one of the frequencies, such superposition relation breaks down and the bichromatic resistance is strongly suppressed.     

Magnetoplasma oscillations of a two-dimensional electron layer in a bounded system

The spectrum of magnetoplasma oscillations of a two-dimensional electron layer in a transversal magnetic field is studied under the condition that the electron system is unbounded along the layer plane and screened in the perpendicular direction. It is shown that under certain conditions oscillation frequencies much lower than the electron cyclotron frequency exist. Also the electromagnetic wave-guided oscillations in the system are described. It is shown that a strong magnetic field causes a frequency shift and splitting, depending inversely on the external magnetic field and the transversal specific dimension.     

Absence of strict crystalline order in a two-dimensional electron system

It is shown that no long-range crystalline order is possible in a two-dimensional electron system, in spite of the long-range nature of the forces. The order is destroyed by the transverse phonons, as can be seen either by Peierls' argument or more rigorously by a modification of Mermin's argument.     

Zero-bias tunneling anomaly in a two-dimensional electron system with disorder

The temperature dependence of a zero-bias anomaly in the tunneling conductance of an Al/δ-GaAs tunneling structure with a two-dimensional electron density in the δ-layer of 3.5 × 10¹² cm^?2 has been investigated. It has been shown that the respective drop Δρ(?, T) in the tunneling density of states ρ near the Fermi level E _F of the two-dimensional electron system depends logarithmically on the energy ? within the range of 2.7kT < |?| < ?/τ, where ? is measured with respect to E _F and τ is the momentum relaxation time of two-dimensional electrons. It has been found that the drop depth Δρ(0, T)/ρ is also proportional to ln(kT/?₀) in the temperature range T = 0.1–20 K and saturates below 0.1 K.     

Microwave photoresistance in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

The effect of microwave radiation on magnetotransport in single GaAs quantum wells with anisotropic mobility, whose maximum corresponds to the $[1\bar 10]$ direction and minimum to the [110] direction, is investigated using the Van der Pauw method. In samples shaped as squares with sides oriented along the $[1\bar 10]$ and [110] directions, giant oscillations of magnetoresistance arise under the effect of a microwave field for the both $[1\bar 10]$ and [110] orientations of the measuring current I _ac. In the anisotropic two-dimensional system under study, the relative amplitude of microwave photoresistance oscillations in a magnetic field weakly depends on the orientation of I _ac. At a temperature of 4.2 K and a microwave frequency of 130 GHz, magnetic field intervals characterized by close-to-zero resistance manifest themselves only for the case of the [110] orientation of I _ac. The aforementioned experimental results are qualitatively explained by a quasi-one-dimensional potential modulation of the two-dimensional electron gas in the [110] direction.     

Microwave photoresistance in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

The effect of microwave radiation on magnetotransport in single GaAs quantum wells with anisotropic mobility, whose maximum corresponds to the direction and minimum to the [110] direction, is investigated using the Van der Pauw method. In samples shaped as squares with sides oriented along the and [110] directions, giant oscillations of magnetoresistance arise under the effect of a microwave field for the both and [110] orientations of the measuring current I _ac. In the anisotropic two-dimensional system under study, the relative amplitude of microwave photoresistance oscillations in a magnetic field weakly depends on the orientation of I _ac. At a temperature of 4.2 K and a microwave frequency of 130 GHz, magnetic field intervals characterized by close-to-zero resistance manifest themselves only for the case of the [110] orientation of I _ac. The aforementioned experimental results are qualitatively explained by a quasi-one-dimensional potential modulation of the two-dimensional electron gas in the [110] direction. Original Russian Text ? A.A. Bykov, D.R. Islamov, A.V. Goran, A.K. Bakarov, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Zhurnal éksperimental’noĭ i Teoreticheskoĭ Fiziki, 2007, Vol. 86, No. 12, pp. 891–895.     

Nonlinear magnetotransport in a two-dimensional electron system with anisotropic mobility

Nonlinear magnetotransport of two-dimensional electrons in modulation-doped GaAs/AlAs heterostructures with anisotropic mobility is investigated. The mobility attains its maximum and minimum values in the $\left[ {1\bar 10} \right]$ and [110] directions, respectively. It is found that, upon an increase in the direct electrical current I _dc though Hall bars oriented along the [110] direction, the transition of the two-dimensional system to the state with differential resistance r _xx ≈ 0 in a magnetic field occurs at a lower value of I _dc and is accompanied by a more pronounced “plunge” into the region of negative r _xx values as compared to bars oriented along the $\left[ {1\bar 10} \right]$ direction. The results are explained by the impact of mobility on the spectral diffusion of nonequilibrium charge carriers.     

Cyclotron resonance in a two-dimensional electron system with self-organized antidots

Experimental data are reported on studying cyclotron resonance in a two-dimensional electron system with an artificial random scattering potential generated by an array of self-organized AlInAs quantum islands formed in the plane of an AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction. A sharp narrowing of the cyclotron resonance line is observed as the magnetic field increases, which is explained by the specific features of carrier scattering in this potential. The results obtained point to the formation of a strongly correlated electron state in strong magnetic fields at carrier concentrations smaller than the concentration of antidots.