Quantum Conductors in a Plane

Abstract

When electrons are confined to move in a plane, strange things happen. For example, under normal circumstances, they are not expected to conduct electricity at low temperatures. However, recent experiments on a dilute electron gas confined to move at the interface between two semiconductors pose a distinct counterexample to the standard view. Transport measurements reveal that as the temperature is lowered, the resistivity drops without any signature of the anticipated up-turn as required by the standard account. It is the possible existence of a new conducting state in two dimensions that is the primary focus of this session.

To appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences as part of the Proceedings from the 10th Annual Symposium on Frontiers of Science. Revised version with additional references