Electronic transport in two-dimensional high dielectric constant nanosystems

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Recent advancements in engineering high-dielectric constant two-dimensional (2D) materials.
• Active pursuit of these materials for nanoelectronics, energy storage, and communication devices.
• Limited understanding of the unique properties and unexplored potential of these 2D systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To numerically study hopping conductivity in a lateral capacitor network modeling 2D insulators.
• To investigate the influence of 2D long-range Coulomb interactions on conductivity.
• To demonstrate peculiar size effects in electronic transport within these materials.

Main Methods:

• Numerical simulation of hopping conductivity in a lateral network of capacitors.
• Modeling of two-dimensional (2D) insulators.
• Analysis of the scaling behavior of characteristic energy governing electronic transport.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that 2D long-range Coulomb interactions induce peculiar size effects in conductivity.
• Found that characteristic energy for electronic transport scales logarithmically with the shorter of system size or electrostatic screening length.
• Results explain experimental observations of logarithmic size dependence in superconducting films near the superconductor-insulator transition.

Conclusions:

• Established that conductivity in 2D systems is not merely a local characteristic but a macroscopic, global property.
• Highlighted the generic nature of this global conductivity in high-dielectric constant 2D nanomaterials.
• Findings challenge the orthodox view and offer new insights into electronic transport in advanced 2D materials.