High-mobility Two-dimensional Electron Gas Research Articles

Finite shot noise and electron heating at quantized conductance in high-mobility quantum point contacts

We report a precise experimental study on the shot noise of a quantum point contact (QPC) fabricated in a GaAs/AlGaAs based high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). The combination of unprecedented cleanliness and very high measurement accuracy has enabled us to discuss the Fano factor to characterize the shot noise with a precision of 1 %. We observed that the shot noise at zero magnetic field exhibits a slight enhancement exceeding the single particle theoretical prediction, and that it gradually decreases as a perpendicular magnetic field is applied. We also confirmed that this additional noise completely vanishes in the quantum Hall regime. These phenomena can be explained by the electron heating effect near the QPC, which is suppressed with increasing magnetic field.

Influence of oval defects on transport properties in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases

Rare macroscopic growth defects next to a two-dimensional electron gas influence transport properties and cause a negative magnetoresistance. On the basis of this, we show that the number of oval defects seen on the material surface is comparable with the density of macroscopic growth defects determined from the negative magnetoresistance. We examine several materials with different densities of oval defects nS which were grown in one cycle under the same conditions to verify our observations. Paradoxically, the material with the largest number of oval defects has also the highest electron mobility.

Microwave-induced zero-resistance state in two-dimensional electron systems with unidirectional periodic modulation

In this study we fabricated lateral superlattices (LSLs) based on the selectively doped GaAs/AlAs heterostructures with a high-mobility two-dimensional (2D) electron gas. The LSLs were formed using the electron-beam lithography and lift-off techniques, which produced a set of metallic strips on top of a heterojunction. The amplitude of the 2D electron gas modulation in the LSL was controlled by the gate voltage applied to the metallic strips. The LSLs with two different periods (a = 200 nm and 500 nm) were used to investigate the influence of microwave radiation with the frequency of 110–150 GHz on the 2D electron transport at the temperature T = 1.6 K in the magnetic field B < 1 T. We have found that zero-resistance states (ZRSs) appear under the microwave radiation in the 2D systems with a unidirectional periodic modulation. These ZRSs are located at the minima of commensurability oscillations.

High-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in SrGeO3- and BaSnO3-based perovskite oxide heterostructures: an ab initio study.

We explored the possibility of producing a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the LaAlO3/SrGeO3 and LaGaO3/BaSnO3 heterostructures using first-principles electronic structure calculations. Our results show that the 2DEG occurs at n-type LaAlO3/SrGeO3 and LaGaO3/BaSnO3 interfaces. Compared to the prototype LaAlO3/SrTiO3, LaAlO3/SrGeO3 and LaGaO3/BaSnO3 systems yield comparable total interfacial charge carrier density but much lower electron effective mass (nearly half the value of LaAlO3/SrTiO3), thus resulting in about twice larger electron mobility and enhanced interfacial conductivity. This work demonstrates that SrGeO3 and BaSnO3 can be potential substrate materials to achieve a high-mobility 2DEG in the perovskite-oxide heterostructures.

Transport Spectroscopy of a Spin-Coherent Dot-Cavity System.

Quantum engineering requires controllable artificial systems with quantum coherence exceeding the device size and operation time. This can be achieved with geometrically confined low-dimensional electronic structures embedded within ultraclean materials, with prominent examples being artificial atoms (quantum dots) and quantum corrals (electronic cavities). Combining the two structures, we implement a mesoscopic coupled dot-cavity system in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas, and obtain an extended spin-singlet state in the regime of strong dot-cavity coupling. Engineering such extended quantum states presents a viable route for nonlocal spin coupling that is applicable for quantum information processing.

Mechanical Flip-Chip for Ultra-High Electron Mobility Devices

Electrostatic gates are of paramount importance for the physics of devices based on high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) since they allow depletion of electrons in selected areas. This field-effect gating enables the fabrication of a wide range of devices such as, for example, quantum point contacts (QPC), electron interferometers and quantum dots. To fabricate these gates, processing is usually performed on the 2DEG material, which is in many cases detrimental to its electron mobility. Here we propose an alternative process which does not require any processing of the 2DEG material other than for the ohmic contacts. This approach relies on processing a separate wafer that is then mechanically mounted on the 2DEG material in a flip-chip fashion. This technique proved successful to fabricate quantum point contacts on both GaAs/AlGaAs materials with both moderate and ultra-high electron mobility.

Highly Confined Electronic and Ionic Conduction in Oxide Heterostructures

The conductance confined at the interface of complex oxide heterostructures provides new opportunities to explore nanoelectronic as well as nanoionic devices. In this talk I will present our recent results both on ionic and electronic conductivity at different heterostructures systems. In the first part of my talk I will show some of our resent results that we demonstrated the possibility of stabilizing δ-Bi2O3 using highly coherent interfaces of alternating layers. Remarkably, an exceptionally high chemical stability in reducing conditions and redox cycles at high temperature, usually unattainable for Bi2O3-based materials, is achieved[1]. These confined heterostructures provide a playground not only for new high ionic conductivity phenomena that are sufficiently stable but also uncover a large variety of possible technological perspectives. At the second part, I will discuss and show our recent results of high mobile samples realized by, interface confined redox reactions [2] , strain induced polarization [3] and modulation doping at complex oxide interfaces. This collection of samples offers unique opportunities for a wide range of rich world of mesoscopic physics. [1] S. Sanne et al. “Enhancement of the chemical stability in confined δ-Bi2O3”. Nature Materials (2015) doi:10.1038/nmat4266 [2] Y. Z. Chen et al. “A high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas at the spinel/perovskite interface of γ-Al2O3/SrTiO3”. Nature Commun. 4, 1371 (2013) [3] Y. Z. Chen et al. “Creation of High Mobility Two-Dimensional Electron Gases via Strain Induced Polarization at an Otherwise Nonpolar Complex Oxide Interface” Nano Letters. 3774-3778 (2015) 10.1021/nl504622w

Microwave response in two-dimensional electron gas in rolled nanomembranes

Magnetoresistance in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas contained in a GaAs quantum well on a cylindrical surface exposed to microwave radiation has been measured. The responses to microwave radiation in the magnetotransport of two-dimensional electron gas are shown to be different on planar and cylindrical surfaces. Qualitative explanations to the latter difference are given.

Induced superconductivity in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in gallium arsenide heterostructures.

Search for Majorana fermions renewed interest in semiconductor–superconductor interfaces, while a quest for higher-order non-Abelian excitations demands formation of superconducting contacts to materials with fractionalized excitations, such as a two-dimensional electron gas in a fractional quantum Hall regime. Here we report induced superconductivity in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in gallium arsenide heterostructures and development of highly transparent semiconductor–superconductor ohmic contacts. Supercurrent with characteristic temperature dependence of a ballistic junction has been observed across 0.6 μm, a regime previously achieved only in point contacts but essential to the formation of well separated non-Abelian states. High critical fields (>16 T) in NbN contacts enables investigation of an interplay between superconductivity and strongly correlated states in a two-dimensional electron gas at high magnetic fields.

Highly sensitive room temperature infrared hybrid organic-nanocrystal detector

In this paper we demonstrate a very sensitive near-infrared light detector device based on InAs nano crystals (NCs) acting as an optical gate on top of a high-mobility shallow two-dimensional electron gas channel. The ability to integrate electronics with the NCs using both top-down and bottom-up approaches allows to utilize the NCs unique quantum properties for future optoelectronic devices. We employ wet chemistry to self-assemble the organic monolayers and the NCs on top of the field effect transistor. By using shallow and very narrow channel, the device's quantum efficiency can go as high as 106V/W at room temperature, with a signal-to-noise ratio that enables sensitivity for very low photon power. We find that our experimental results are compatible with simulation. Lastly, the route to advance to the single photon detection limit is discussed.

Creation of high mobility two-dimensional electron gases via strain induced polarization at an otherwise nonpolar complex oxide interface.

The discovery of two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) in SrTiO3-based heterostructures provides new opportunities for nanoelectronics. Herein, we create a new type of oxide 2DEG by the epitaxial-strain-induced polarization at an otherwise nonpolar perovskite-type interface of CaZrO3/SrTiO3. Remarkably, this heterointerface is atomically sharp and exhibits a high electron mobility exceeding 60,000 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at low temperatures. The 2DEG carrier density exhibits a critical dependence on the film thickness, in good agreement with the polarization induced 2DEG scheme.

Magnetotransport in two-dimensional electron gas in helical nanomembranes.

Heterostructures containing high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas were rolled into freestanding helically shaped contacted Hall bars. Magnetotransport measurements in these structures at high magnetic fields revealed minima in the longitudinal magnetoresistance corresponding to integer and fractional filling factors. A strong asymmetry of the longitudinal magnetoresistance with respect to the external magnetic field direction was observed. For this new type of structures, an edge state picture was considered, and calculations based on the Landauer-Büttiker formalism are performed.

Spin Transport Goes Ballistic

The injection of spins into a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas is unexpectedly efficient, suggesting that new theories may be needed to describe spin transport in such systems.

Anomalous low-temperature Coulomb drag in graphene-GaAs heterostructures.

Vertical heterostructures combining different layered materials offer novel opportunities for applications and fundamental studies. Here we report a new class of heterostructures comprising a single-layer (or bilayer) graphene in close proximity to a quantum well created in GaAs and supporting a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas. In our devices, graphene is naturally hole-doped, thereby allowing for the investigation of electron-hole interactions. We focus on the Coulomb drag transport measurements, which are sensitive to many-body effects, and find that the Coulomb drag resistivity significantly increases for temperatures <5-10 K. The low-temperature data follow a logarithmic law, therefore displaying a notable departure from the ordinary quadratic temperature dependence expected in a weakly correlated Fermi-liquid. This anomalous behaviour is consistent with the onset of strong interlayer correlations. Our heterostructures represent a new platform for the creation of coherent circuits and topologically protected quantum bits.

2kF-selected conductance oscillations of high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in Corbino devices

We have observed electrical-field induced magneto-conductivity oscillations measured in Corbino samples made of a GaAs high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas, and found a consistent interpretation based on a semiclassical model of 2kF-selected orbital transitions between N and N + 1, 2, 3,…, Landau levels at respective local potentials, where kF is the Fermi wavevector. From the oscillation period, we deduce an effective mass value, which is consistent with the bare electron band mass of GaAs. In the same devices but with a vanishing electrical field and at elevated temperatures, we observed additional oscillation features, which can be attributed to cyclotron resonance by population of acoustic phonons. We thus demonstrate a method to determine the carrier effective mass and the sound velocity of host crystals by standard electrical transport.

Magnetoresistance induced by rare strong scatterers in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas

We observe a strong negative magnetoresistance at non-quantizing magnetic fields in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG). This strong negative magnetoresistance consists of a narrow peak around zero magnetic field and a huge magnetoresistance at larger fields. The peak shows parabolic magnetic field dependence and is attributed to the interplay of smooth disorder and rare strong scatterers. We identify the rare strong scatterers as macroscopic defects in the material and determine their density from the peak curvature.

Cavity quantum electrodynamics with many-body states of a two-dimensional electron gas.

Light-matter interaction has played a central role in understanding as well as engineering new states of matter. Reversible coupling of excitons and photons enabled groundbreaking results in condensation and superfluidity of nonequilibrium quasiparticles with a photonic component. We investigated such cavity-polaritons in the presence of a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas, exhibiting strongly correlated phases. When the cavity was on resonance with the Fermi level, we observed previously unknown many-body physics associated with a dynamical hole-scattering potential. In finite magnetic fields, polaritons show distinct signatures of integer and fractional quantum Hall ground states. Our results lay the groundwork for probing nonequilibrium dynamics of quantum Hall states and exploiting the electron density dependence of polariton splitting so as to obtain ultrastrong optical nonlinearities.

Rapid scanning terahertz time-domain magnetospectroscopy with a table-top repetitive pulsed magnet.

We have performed terahertz time-domain magnetospectroscopy by combining a rapid scanning terahertz time-domain spectrometer based on the electronically controlled optical sampling method with a table-top minicoil pulsed magnet capable of producing magnetic fields up to 30T. We demonstrate the capability of this system by measuring coherent cyclotron resonance oscillations in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs and interference-induced terahertz transmittance modifications in a magnetoplasma in lightly doped n-InSb.

Superradiant decay of cyclotron resonance of two-dimensional electron gases.

We report on the observation of collective radiative decay, or superradiance, of cyclotron resonance (CR) in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases in GaAs quantum wells using time-domain terahertz magnetospectroscopy. The decay rate of coherent CR oscillations increases linearly with the electron density in a wide range, which is a hallmark of superradiant damping. Our fully quantum mechanical theory provides a universal formula for the decay rate, which reproduces our experimental data without any adjustable parameter. These results firmly establish the many-body nature of CR decoherence in this system, despite the fact that the CR frequency is immune to electron-electron interactions due to Kohn's theorem.

Mechanical resonance characteristics of a cylindrical semiconductor heterostructure containing a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas

We investigate the mechanical resonance characteristics of semiconductor rolled-up tubes containing a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (HM2DEG) by optical and electrical means. The observed mode frequencies are in an excellent agreement with the theoretically calculated frequencies for the ground bending and excited bending and axial modes. The effect of the curvature is to increase the frequencies of the ground bending modes and the axial wave modes, while decreasing the frequencies of the first excited bending modes. We find significant splitting of the bending and twisting modes by the residual stress effects due to axial shear relaxation in $z$-dependent modes. The HM2DEG interacts with the mechanical motion due to Eddy currents and embedded impedances. A prominent asymmetry appears in the vibration amplitude with respect to the direction of the magnetic field. This originates from the broken symmetry of the HM2DEG on the curved surfaces.