Shifting a Quantum Wire through a Disordered Crystal: Observation of Conductance Fluctuations in Real Space
arXiv:cond-mat/9909337 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.61.R13353
Abstract
A quantum wire is spatially displaced by suitable electric fields with respect to the scatterers inside a semiconductor crystal. As a function of the wire position, the low-temperature resistance shows reproducible fluctuations. Their characteristic temperature scale is a few hundred millikelvin, indicating a phase-coherent effect. Each fluctuation corresponds to a single scatterer entering or leaving the wire. This way, scattering centers can be counted one by one.
4 pages, 3 figures