Spin Degree of Freedom in a Two-Dimensional Electron Liquid

We have investigated correlation between spin polarization and magnetotransport in a high mobility silicon inversion layer which shows the metal-insulator transition. Increase in the resistivity in a parallel magnetic field reaches saturation at the critical field for the full polarization evaluated from an analysis of low-field Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. By rotating the sample at various total strength of the magnetic field, we found that the normal component of the magnetic field at minima in the diagonal resistivity increases linearly with the concentration of “spin-up” electrons.