Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics

Electrostatic Boundary Conditions in Dielectrics

When an electric field passes from one homogeneous medium to another, crossing the boundary between the two mediums imparts a discontinuity in the electric field. This results in electrostatic boundary conditions that depend on the type of mediums the field propagates through.
Consider a case where both the mediums across a boundary are two different dielectric materials. Recall that the electric field and electric displacement are proportional and related through the material's permittivity.

Fermi Level Dynamics

Fermi Level Dynamics

The vacuum level denotes the energy threshold required for an electron to escape from a material surface. It is usually positioned above the conduction band of a semiconductor and acts as a benchmark for comparing electron energies within various materials.
Electron affinity in semiconductors refers to the energy gap between the minimum of its conduction band and the vacuum level and it is a critical parameter in determining how easily a semiconductor can accept additional electrons.
The work...

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

Metal-Semiconductor Junctions

The contact of metal and semiconductor can lead to the formation of a junction with either Schottky or Ohmic behavior.
Schottky Barriers
Schottky barriers arise when a metal with a work function (Φm) contacts a semiconductor with a different work function (Φs). Initially, electrons transfer until the Fermi levels of the metal and semiconductor align at equilibrium. For instance, if Φm > Φs, the semiconductor Fermi level is higher than the metal's before contact. The semiconductor's...

Schottky Barrier Diode

Schottky Barrier Diode

Schottky barrier diodes are specialized semiconductor devices characterized by their unique construction. This construction involves combining a metal layer with a moderately doped n-type semiconductor material. This combination leads to the formation of a Schottky barrier, a pivotal element that defines the diode's operational characteristics. The core functionality of Schottky barrier diodes is their capacity to allow current to flow in only one direction due to their distinctive...

Electrochemical Systems

Electrochemical Systems

Electrochemical systems provide a fascinating insight into the dynamic interplay of charged species within various phases. One notable example is the interaction between a membrane permeable to K⁺ ions but not to Cl⁻ ions, separating an aqueous KCl solution from pure water. As K⁺ ions diffuse through the membrane, they generate net charges on each phase, leading to a potential difference between them.Similarly, when a piece of Zn is immersed in an aqueous ZnSO₄ solution, the Zn metal, composed...

The Electrical Double Layer

The Electrical Double Layer

In the region where two bulk phases meet, an intricate electric charge distribution arises due to charge transfer, ion adsorption, molecular orientation, and charge distortion. This complex distribution is commonly referred to as the electrical double layer.When a solid electrode interfaces with ions in an electrolyte solution, the speed of electron transfer dictates the rates of oxidation and reduction. The electrode acquires a charge through the escape of atoms into the solution as cations or...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Flexural phonons in supported graphene: from pinning to localization.

Scientific reports·2018

Same author

Temperature-induced spontaneous time-reversal symmetry breaking on the honeycomb lattice.

Physical review letters·2015

Same author

Dephasing time in graphene due to interaction with flexural phonons.

Physical review letters·2014

Same author

Spectral non-uniform temperature and non-local heat transfer in the spin Seebeck effect.

Nature communications·2013

Same author

Fundamental limits on wavelength, efficiency and yield of the charge separation triad.

PloS one·2012

Same author

Branch-cut singularities in thermodynamics of Fermi liquid systems.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2006

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

In Situ Time-dependent Dielectric Breakdown in the Transmission Electron Microscope: A Possibility to Understand the Failure Mechanism in Microelectronic Devices

In Situ Time-dependent Dielectric Breakdown in the Transmission Electron Microscope: A Possibility to Understand the Failure Mechanism in Microelectronic Devices

Published on: June 26, 2015

Metal-insulator transition in disordered two-dimensional electron systems.

Alexander Punnoose¹, Alexander M Finkel'stein

¹Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ 07974, USA. punnoose@lucent.com

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|October 15, 2005

Summary

We identified a quantum critical point in disordered two-dimensional electron systems, explaining how interactions and disorder drive the metal-insulator transition and critical thermodynamic behavior.

More Related Videos

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS₂ Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Published on: April 12, 2018

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform

Published on: August 2, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

In Situ Time-dependent Dielectric Breakdown in the Transmission Electron Microscope: A Possibility to Understand the Failure Mechanism in Microelectronic Devices

In Situ Time-dependent Dielectric Breakdown in the Transmission Electron Microscope: A Possibility to Understand the Failure Mechanism in Microelectronic Devices

Published on: June 26, 2015

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS2 Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Electric-field Control of Electronic States in WS₂ Nanodevices by Electrolyte Gating

Published on: April 12, 2018

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform

Scalable Quantum Integrated Circuits on Superconducting Two-Dimensional Electron Gas Platform

Published on: August 2, 2019

Area of Science:

Condensed matter physics
Quantum materials science

Background:

Disordered two-dimensional electron systems exhibit complex phase transitions.
Understanding the interplay between electron-electron interactions and disorder is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

To present a theoretical framework for the metal-insulator transition.
To identify the role of a quantum critical point in this transition.

Main Methods:

Theoretical modeling of electron systems.
Analysis of quantum critical phenomena.

Main Results:

Identified a quantum critical point separating metallic and insulating phases.
Demonstrated critical behavior in thermodynamic properties near the transition.
Explained observed transport properties and enhanced spin susceptibility.

Conclusions:

The interplay of interactions and disorder governs the metal-insulator transition.
Quantum criticality provides a unified explanation for observed phenomena.