Evidence for two-dimensional electron solid in Si inversion layers

Abstract

We show experimentally that the giant resistance peaks, previously observed in Si inversion layers at low temperatures and magnetic fields, are not related to the single-particle localization. At the same time, the experimental results are well consistent with the formation of an electron solid. This solid forms at low electron densities n s ⩽ 10 11cm −2 and temperatures T< 1 K in weak or possibly even zero magnetic fields, driving both δ xx and δ xy to zero, and melts in the vicinity of integer filling factors and two, thus providing well-defined quantized Hall resistance states.