论文标题
在二维电子系统中观察自发的铁磁性
Observation of Spontaneous Ferromagnetism in a Two-Dimensional Electron System
论文作者
论文摘要
相互作用的低密度电子系统的基态是什么?在没有疾病的情况下,长期以来一直期望随着电子密度降低,通过对齐电子旋转获得的交换能量应超过动力学(Fermi)能量的增强,从而导致(Bloch)铁磁过渡。在较低的密度下,应发生另一个向(Wigner)固体,有序的电子阵列的过渡。但是,由于缺乏支持具有非常高质量(低疾病)和低密度的电子系统的材料平台,因此对这些制度的实验访问受到限制。在这里,我们探索了在限制在调制掺杂的Alas量子的二维电子系统中相互作用的基态。该系统中的大电子有效质量使我们能够达到相互作用参数$ r_s $的较大值,该参数定义为库仑与费米能的比率。 As we lower the electron density via gate bias, we find a sequence of phases, qualitatively consistent with the above scenario: a paramagnetic phase at large densities, a spontaneous transition to a ferromagnetic state when $r_s$ surpasses 35, and then a phase with strongly non-linear current-voltage characteristics, suggestive of a pinned Wigner solid, when $r_s$ exceeds $\simeq 38 $。但是,我们的样本在自发性铁磁性发作之前向$ r_s \ simeq 27 $以$ r_s \ simeq 27 $的过渡过渡,这表明,除了相互作用外,还必须考虑到理解现实稀释电子系统的不同阶段。
What are the ground states of an interacting, low-density electron system? In the absence of disorder, it has long been expected that as the electron density is lowered, the exchange energy gained by aligning the electron spins should exceed the enhancement in the kinetic (Fermi) energy, leading to a (Bloch) ferromagnetic transition. At even lower densities, another transition to a (Wigner) solid, an ordered array of electrons, should occur. Experimental access to these regimes, however, has been limited because of the absence of a material platform that supports an electron system with very high-quality (low disorder) and low density simultaneously. Here we explore the ground states of interacting electrons in an exceptionally-clean, two-dimensional electron system confined to a modulation-doped AlAs quantum well. The large electron effective mass in this system allows us to reach very large values of the interaction parameter $r_s$, defined as the ratio of the Coulomb to Fermi energies. As we lower the electron density via gate bias, we find a sequence of phases, qualitatively consistent with the above scenario: a paramagnetic phase at large densities, a spontaneous transition to a ferromagnetic state when $r_s$ surpasses 35, and then a phase with strongly non-linear current-voltage characteristics, suggestive of a pinned Wigner solid, when $r_s$ exceeds $\simeq 38$. However, our sample makes a transition to an insulating state at $r_s\simeq 27$, preceding the onset of the spontaneous ferromagnetism, implying that, besides interaction, the role of disorder must also be taken into account in understanding the different phases of a realistic dilute electron system.