152 research outputs found
2D Rutherford-Like Scattering in Ballistic Nanodevices
Ballistic injection in a nanodevice is a complex process where electrons can
either be transmitted or reflected, thereby introducing deviations from the
otherwise quantized conductance. In this context, quantum rings (QRs) appear as
model geometries: in a semiclassical view, most electrons bounce against the
central QR antidot, which strongly reduces injection efficiency. Thanks to an
analogy with Rutherford scattering, we show that a local partial depletion of
the QR close to the edge of the antidot can counter-intuitively ease ballistic
electron injection. On the contrary, local charge accumulation can focus the
semi-classical trajectories on the hard-wall potential and strongly enhance
reflection back to the lead. Scanning gate experiments on a ballistic QR, and
simulations of the conductance of the same device are consistent, and agree to
show that the effect is directly proportional to the ratio between the strength
of the perturbation and the Fermi energy. Our observation surprisingly fits the
simple Rutherford formalism in two-dimensions in the classical limit
Thermopower of Interacting GaAs Bilayer Hole Systems in the Reentrant Insulating Phase near
We report thermopower measurements of interacting GaAs bilayer hole systems.
When the carrier densities in the two layers are equal, these systems exhibit a
reentrant insulating phase near the quantum Hall state at total filling factor
. Our data show that as the temperature is decreased, the thermopower
diverges in the insulating phase. This behavior indicates the opening of an
energy gap at low temperature, consistent with the formation of a pinned Wigner
solid. We extract an energy gap and a Wigner solid melting phase diagram.Comment: to be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Scanning Gate Spectroscopy of transport across a Quantum Hall Nano-Island
We explore transport across an ultra-small Quantum Hall Island (QHI) formed
by closed quan- tum Hall edge states and connected to propagating edge channels
through tunnel barriers. Scanning gate microscopy and scanning gate
spectroscopy are used to first localize and then study a single QHI near a
quantum point contact. The presence of Coulomb diamonds in the spectroscopy
con- firms that Coulomb blockade governs transport across the QHI. Varying the
microscope tip bias as well as current bias across the device, we uncover the
QHI discrete energy spectrum arising from electronic confinement and we extract
estimates of the gradient of the confining potential and of the edge state
velocity.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure
Professional training and participatory research: Combined actions for developing organic rice farming in the Camargue region of France
In 2006 and 2007, INRA’s Joint Research Unit, Innovation, was a partner in a European professional training project within the framework of the Leonardo da Vinci programme. The objective of this project was to help develop organic rice farming in the major European rice-growing regions where rice is mainly cultivated in ecologically-sensitive areas. In France, the rate of conversion to organic production is much lower that what would be expected, since organic rice farming presents particular technical problems. The availability of expert support is critical to successful conversion and no structured training was available in the past. This is the reason why we developed a participatory training method that helps rice growers and stakeholders to convert to organic farming and to improve their organic rice production. Different training sessions were organised. The participants shared their thoughts about technical problems encountered and identified possible solutions. Some of the topics developed were weeds, soils and fertility, and varieties. At the end of these sessions, a motivated workgroup was set up. Some of its members even proposed to assess the efficiency of some of the techniques that were discussed during the work sessions in fields on their own farms. Furthermore, field visits were organised in the Camargue region of France and in Spain. Scientists and group members hope to be able to continue to work together after the O.R.P.E.S.A. project is over. In order to make this possible, we are now planning to initiate new research and development actions using the same approach
Formation of quantum dots in the potential fluctuations of InGaAs heterostructures probed by scanning gate microscopy
The disordered potential landscape in an InGaAs/InAlAs two-dimensional
electron gas patterned into narrow wires is investigated by means of scanning
gate microscopy. It is found that scanning a negatively charged tip above
particular sites of the wires produces conductance oscillations that are
periodic in the tip voltage. These oscillations take the shape of concentric
circles whose number and diameter increase for more negative tip voltages until
full depletion occurs in the probed region. These observations cannot be
explained by charging events in material traps, but are consistent with Coulomb
blockade in quantum dots forming when the potential fluctuations are raised
locally at the Fermi level by the gating action of the tip. This interpretation
is supported by simple electrostatic simulations in the case of a disorder
potential induced by ionized dopants. This work represents a local
investigation of the mechanisms responsible for the disorder-induced
metal-to-insulator transition observed in macroscopic two-dimensional electron
systems at low enough density
Seven principles of successful knowledge management: Lessons learned in building a KM system in support of adaptive management
Scanning-gate microscopy of semiconductor nanostructures: an overview
This paper presents an overview of scanning-gate microscopy applied to the
imaging of electron transport through buried semiconductor nanostructures.
After a brief description of the technique and of its possible artifacts, we
give a summary of some of its most instructive achievements found in the
literature and we present an updated review of our own research. It focuses on
the imaging of GaInAs-based quantum rings both in the low magnetic field
Aharonov-Bohm regime and in the high-field quantum Hall regime. In all of the
given examples, we emphasize how a local-probe approach is able to shed new, or
complementary, light on transport phenomena which are usually studied by means
of macroscopic conductance measurements.Comment: Invited talk by SH at 39th "Jaszowiec" International School and
Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors, Krynica-Zdroj, Poland, June 201
Imaging Electron Wave Functions Inside Open Quantum Rings
Combining Scanning Gate Microscopy (SGM) experiments and simulations, we
demonstrate low temperature imaging of electron probability density
in embedded mesoscopic quantum rings (QRs). The tip-induced
conductance modulations share the same temperature dependence as the
Aharonov-Bohm effect, indicating that they originate from electron wavefunction
interferences. Simulations of both and SGM conductance maps
reproduce the main experimental observations and link fringes in SGM images to
.Comment: new titl
Wigner and Kondo physics in quantum point contacts revealed by scanning gate microscopy
Quantum point contacts exhibit mysterious conductance anomalies in addition
to well known conductance plateaus at multiples of 2e^2/h. These 0.7 and
zero-bias anomalies have been intensively studied, but their microscopic origin
in terms of many-body effects is still highly debated. Here we use the charged
tip of a scanning gate microscope to tune in situ the electrostatic potential
of the point contact. While sweeping the tip distance, we observe repetitive
splittings of the zero-bias anomaly, correlated with simultaneous appearances
of the 0.7 anomaly. We interpret this behaviour in terms of alternating
equilibrium and non-equilibrium Kondo screenings of different spin states
localized in the channel. These alternating Kondo effects point towards the
presence of a Wigner crystal containing several charges with different
parities. Indeed, simulations show that the electron density in the channel is
low enough to reach one-dimensional Wigner crystallization over a size
controlled by the tip position
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