Weak Localization, Hole-Hole Interactions, and the “Metal”-Insulator Transition in Two Dimensions

M. Y. Simmons; A. R. Hamilton; M. Pepper; E. H. Linfield; P. D. Rose; D. A. Ritchie

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.2489

Weak Localization, Hole-Hole Interactions, and the “Metal”-Insulator Transition in Two Dimensions

M. Y. Simmons, A. R. Hamilton, M. Pepper, E. H. Linfield, P. D. Rose, and D. A. Ritchie

Phys. Rev. Lett. 84, 2489 – Published 13 March 2000

Abstract

A detailed investigation of the metallic behavior in high-quality GaAs-AlGaAs two-dimensional hole systems reveals the presence of quantum corrections to the resistivity at low temperatures. Despite the low density ( $r_{s} > 10$ ) and high quality of these systems, both weak localization (observed via negative magnetoresistance) and weak hole-hole interactions (giving a correction to the Hall constant) are present in the so-called metallic phase where the resistivity decreases with decreasing temperature. If these quantum corrections persist down to $T = 0$ , the results suggest that even at high $r_{s}$ there is no metallic phase in two dimensions.

Received 22 October 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.2489

Authors & Affiliations

M. Y. Simmons^1,2, A. R. Hamilton^1,2, M. Pepper¹, E. H. Linfield¹, P. D. Rose¹, and D. A. Ritchie¹

¹Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OHE, United Kingdom
²Semiconductor Nanofabrication Facility, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia