Two-dimensional Electron System In Silicon Research Articles

Spin polarization and exchange-correlation effects in transport properties of two-dimensional electron systems in silicon

We show that the parallel magnetic field-induced increase in the critical electron density for the Anderson transition in a strongly interacting two-dimensional electron system is caused by the effects of exchange and correlations. If the transition occurs when electron spins are only partially polarized, additional increase in the magnetic field is necessary to achieve the full spin polarization in the insulating state due to the exchange effects.

Merging of Landau levels in a strongly interacting two-dimensional electron system in silicon.

We show that the merging of the spin- and valley-split Landau levels at the chemical potential is an intrinsic property of a strongly interacting two-dimensional electron system in silicon. Evidence for the level merging is given by available experimental data.

EFFECTS OF ELECTRON-ELECTRON INTERACTIONS IN TWO DIMENSIONS

Strong electron-electron interactions in dilute two-dimensional electron systems in silicon lead to Pauli spin susceptibility growing critically at low electron densities. This effect originates from renormalization of the effective mass rather than the g-factor. The relative mass enhancement is system- and disorder-independent, which suggests that it is determined by electron-electron interactions only.

Effects of interactions in two dimensions

Strong electron–electron interactions in dilute two-dimensional electron systems in silicon lead to Pauli spin susceptibility growing critically at low electron densities. This effect originates from renormalization of the effective mass rather than the g-factor. The relative mass enhancement is system and disorder independent, which suggests that it is determined by electron–electron interactions only.

Thermodynamic magnetization of a strongly correlated two-dimensional electron system

We measure thermodynamic magnetization of a low-disordered, strongly correlated two-dimensional electron system in silicon. Pauli spin susceptibility is observed to grow critically at low electron densities—behavior that is characteristic of the existence of a phase transition. A new, parameter-free method is used to directly determine the spectrum characteristics (Landé g-factor and the cyclotron mass) when the Fermi level lies outside the spectral gaps and the inter-level interactions between quasiparticles are avoided. It turns out that, unlike in the Stoner scenario, the critical growth of the spin susceptibility originates from the dramatic enhancement of the effective mass, while the enhancement of the g-factor is weak and practically independent of the electron density.

Critical behaviour of the Pauli spin susceptibility of strongly correlated electrons in two dimensions

Thermodynamic measurements reveal that the Pauli spin susceptibility in a strongly correlated low-disorder two-dimensional electron system in silicon becomes enhanced by almost an order of magnitude at low electron densities and has a critical behaviour close to the metal--insulator transition point. This provides thermodynamic evidence for the existence of a phase transition. The nature of the low-density phase still remains unclear because it is masked by the residual disorder in the electron system.

Conductivity of a spin-polarized two-dimensional electron liquid in the ballistic regime

In the ballistic regime, the metallic temperature dependence of the conductivity in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon is found to change non-monotonically with the degree of spin polarization. In particular, it fades away just before the onset of complete spin polarization but reappears again in the fully spin-polarized state, being, however, suppressed relative to the zero-field case. Analysis of the degree of the suppression allows one to distinguish between the screening and the interaction-based theories.

Magnetization of a Strongly Interacting Two-Dimensional Electron System in Perpendicular Magnetic Fields

We measure the thermodynamic magnetization of a low-disordered, strongly correlated two-dimensional electron system in silicon in perpendicular magnetic fields. A new, parameter-free method is used to directly determine the spectrum characteristics (Landé g factor and the cyclotron mass) when the Fermi level lies outside the spectral gaps and the interlevel interactions between quasiparticles are avoided. Intralevel interactions are found to strongly modify the magnetization, without affecting the determined g* and m*.

Nonexponential Relaxations in a Two-Dimensional Electron System in Silicon

The relaxations of conductivity have been studied in a strongly disordered two-dimensional (2D) electron system in Si after excitation far from equilibrium by a rapid change of carrier density ns at low temperatures T. The dramatic and precise dependence of the relaxations on ns and T strongly suggests (a) the transition to a glassy phase as T-->0, and (b) the Coulomb interactions between 2D electrons play a dominant role in the observed out-of-equilibrium dynamics.

Sharply increasing spin susceptibility near the metal–insulator transition in a two-dimensional electron system

Abstract We have measured the effective mass and Lande g factor in very dilute two-dimensional electron systems in silicon and found a sharp increase of the effective mass near the metal–insulator transition, while the g factor remains nearly constant and close to its value in bulk silicon. Using tilted magnetic fields, we have found that the enhanced effective mass is independent of the degree of spin polarization, which points to a spin-independent origin of the mass enhancement and is in contradiction with existing theories.

Direct measurements of the spin and the cyclotron gaps in a 2D electron system in silicon.

Using magnetocapacitance data in tilted magnetic fields, we directly determine the chemical potential jump in a strongly correlated two-dimensional electron system in silicon when the filling factor traverses the spin and the cyclotron gaps. The data yield an effective g factor that is close to its value in bulk silicon and does not depend on the filling factor. The cyclotron splitting corresponds to the effective mass that is strongly enhanced at low electron densities.

Coherent backscattering near the two-dimensional metal-insulator transition.

We have studied corrections to conductivity due to the coherent backscattering in low-disordered two-dimensional electron systems in silicon for a range of electron densities including the vicinity of the metal-insulator transition, where the dramatic increase of the spin susceptibility has been observed earlier. We show that the corrections, which exist deeper in the metallic phase, weaken upon approaching the transition and practically vanish at the critical density, thus suggesting that the localization is suppressed near and at the transition even in zero field.

Sharply increasing effective mass: a precursor of a spontaneous spin polarization in a dilute two-dimensional electron system

We have measured the effective mass, m, and Lande g-factor in very dilute two-dimensional electron systems in silicon. Two independent methods have been used: (i) measurements of the magnetic field required to fully polarize the electrons' spins and (ii) analysis of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. We have observed a sharp increase of the effective mass with decreasing electron density while the g-factor remains nearly constant and close to its value in bulk silicon. The corresponding strong rise of the spin susceptibility may be a precursor of a spontaneous spin polarization; unlike in the Stoner scenario, it originates from the enhancement of the effective mass rather than the increase of g-factor. Furthermore, using tilted magnetic fields, we have found that the enhanced effective mass is independent of the degree of spin polarization and, therefore, its increase is not related to spin exchange effects, in contradiction with existing theories. Our results show that the dilute 2D electron system in silicon behaves well beyond a weakly interacting Fermi liquid.

Spin-independent origin of the strongly enhanced effective mass in a dilute 2D electron system.

We accurately measure the effective mass in a dilute two-dimensional electron system in silicon by analyzing the temperature dependence of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations in the low-temperature limit. A sharp increase of the effective mass with decreasing electron density is observed. We find that the enhanced effective mass is independent of the degree of spin polarization, which points to a spin-independent origin of the mass enhancement and is in contradiction with existing theories.

Strong enhancement of the valley splitting in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon

Using magnetocapacitance data, we directly determine the chemical potential jump in a strongly correlated 2D electron system in silicon when the filling factor traverses the valley gap at \nu=1 and \nu=3. The data yield a valley gap that is strongly enhanced compared to the single-particle value and increases LINEARLY with magnetic field. This result has not been explained by existing theories.

Erratum: Onset of Glassy Dynamics in a Two-Dimensional Electron System in Silicon [Phys. Rev. Lett.88, 236401 (2002)

Received 29 October 2002DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.289904©2002 American Physical Society

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.

Effects of a Parallel Magnetic Field on the Metal-Insulator Transition in a Dilute Two-Dimensional Electron System

The temperature dependence of conductivity sigma(T) of a two-dimensional electron system in silicon has been studied in parallel magnetic fields B. At B = 0, the system displays a metal-insulator transition at a critical electron density n(c)(0), and dsigma/dT>0 in the metallic phase. At low fields ( B < or approximately equal to 2 T), n(c) increases as n(c)(B)-n(c)(0) proportional, variant Bbeta ( beta approximately 1), and the zero-temperature conductivity scales as sigma(n(s),B,T = 0)/sigma(n(s),0,0) = f(B(beta)/delta(n)), where delta(n) = [n(s)-n(c)(0)]/n(c)(0) and n(s) is electron density, as expected for a quantum phase transition. The metallic phase persists in fields of up to 18 T, consistent with the saturation of n(c) at high fields.

Possible ferromagnetic instability in a dilute 2D electron system

The magnetic field B c, in which the electrons become fully spin-polarized, is found to be proportional to the deviation of the electron density from the zero-field metal–insulator transition in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon. The tendency of B c to vanish at a finite electron density suggests a ferromagnetic instability in this strongly correlated electron system.

Glass transition in a two-dimensional electron system in silicon

Large fluctuations of conductivity with time are observed in a low-mobility two-dimensional electron system in silicon at low electron densities n s and temperatures. A dramatic increase of the noise power (∝1/ f α ) as n s is reduced below a certain density n g, and a sharp jump of α at n s≈ n g, are attributed to the freezing of the electron glass at n s= n g. The data strongly suggest that glassy dynamics persists in the metallic phase.