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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Angle-resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy At Ultra-low Temperatures

Angle-resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy At Ultra-low Temperatures

Published on: October 9, 2012

Low-temperature collapse of electron localization in two dimensions.

Matthias Baenninger¹, Arindam Ghosh, Michael Pepper

¹Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, J. J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom. matthias.baenninger@cantab.net

Physical Review Letters

|February 1, 2008

Summary

The insulating phase of two-dimensional electron systems becomes unstable at low temperatures, transitioning to metal-like behavior. This occurs even at high resistivity, challenging previous understandings of electron transport.

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Area of Science:

Condensed Matter Physics
Materials Science
Quantum Phenomena

Background:

Disordered two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) often exhibit insulating behavior at low temperatures.
Strong electron-electron interactions complicate the understanding of transport properties in these systems.
The interplay between disorder, interactions, and temperature is crucial for determining electronic phase transitions.

Purpose of the Study:

To experimentally investigate the stability of the insulating phase in a disordered, strongly interacting 2D electron system.
To determine the temperature dependence of transport behavior in such systems.
To explore the influence of varying disorder strength on the observed electronic transitions.

Main Methods:

Transport measurements were conducted on a mesoscopic length scale.
Systematic variation of the disorder strength was employed.
Temperature was systematically decreased to observe changes in resistivity and transport characteristics.

Main Results:

Direct experimental evidence shows the insulating phase becomes unstable at low temperatures.
A transition from insulating to metal-like transport behavior was observed as temperature decreased.
This transition persisted even when resistivity significantly exceeded the quantum of resistivity (h/e²).

Conclusions:

The insulating state in disordered, strongly interacting 2D electron systems is not always stable at low temperatures.
Metal-like transport can emerge under conditions previously thought to be exclusively insulating.
These findings necessitate a re-evaluation of theories describing electron transport in disordered quantum systems.