Strong localization of electrons in quasi-one-dimensional conductors

We report on the experimental study of electron transport in sub-micron-wide ''wires'' fabricated from Si $\delta$-doped GaAs. These quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) conductors demonstrate the crossover from weak to strong localization with decreasing the temperature. On the insulating side of the crossover, the resistance has been measured as a function of temperature, magnetic field, and applied voltage for different values of the electron concentration, which was varied by applying the gate voltage. The activation temperature dependence of the resistance has been observed with the activation energy close to the mean energy spacing of electron states within the localization domain. The study of non-linearity of the current-voltage characteristics provides information on the distance between the critical hops which govern the resistance of Q1D conductors in the strong localization (SL) regime. We observe the exponentially strong negative magnetoresistance; this orbital magnetoresistance is due to the universal magnetic-field dependence of the localization length in Q1D conductors. The method of measuring of the single-particle density of states (DoS) in the SL regime has been suggested. Our data indicate that there is a minimum of DoS at the Fermi level due to the long-range Coulomb interaction.Comment: 12 pages, 11 figures; the final version to appear in Phys. Rev.

Low-Temperature Dephasing in Disordered Conductors: the Effect of ``1/f'' Fluctuations

Electronic quantum effects in disordered conductors are controlled by the dephasing rate of conduction electrons. This rate is expected to vanish with the temperature. We consider the very intriguing recently reported apparent saturation of this dephasing rate in several systems at very low temperatures. We show that the ``standard model'' of a conductor with static defects can {\em not} have such an effect. However, allowing some dynamics of the defects may produce it.Comment: 6page

Characterization of one-dimensional quantum channels in InAs/AlSb

We report the magnetoresistance characteristics of one-dimensional electrons confined in a single InAs quantum well sandwiched between AlSb barriers. As a result of a novel nanofabrication scheme that utilizes a 3nm-shallow wet chemical etching to define the electrostatic lateral confinement, the system is found to possess three important properties: specular boundary scattering, a strong lateral confinement potential, and a conducting channel width that is approximately the lithography width. Ballistic transport phenomena, including the quenching of the Hall resistance, the last Hall plateau, and a strong negative bend resistance, are observed at 4K in cross junctions with sharp corners. In a ring geometry, we have observed Aharonov-Bohm interference that exhibits characteristics different from those of the GaAs counterpart due to the ballistic nature of electron transport and the narrowness of the conducting channel width.Comment: pdf-file, 8 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.

Decoherence in Disordered Conductors at Low Temperatures, the effect of Soft Local Excitations

The conduction electrons' dephasing rate, $\tau_{\phi}^{-1}$, is expected to vanish with the temperature. A very intriguing apparent saturation of this dephasing rate in several systems was recently reported at very low temperatures. The suggestion that this represents dephasing by zero-point fluctuations has generated both theoretical and experimental controversies. We start by proving that the dephasing rate must vanish at the $T\to 0$ limit, unless a large ground state degeneracy exists. This thermodynamic proof includes most systems of relevance and it is valid for any determination of $\tau_{\phi}$ from {\em linear} transport measurements. In fact, our experiments demonstrate unequivocally that indeed when strictly linear transport is used, the apparent low-temperature saturation of $\tau_{\phi}$ is eliminated. However, the conditions to be in the linear transport regime are more strict than hitherto expected. Another novel result of the experiments is that introducing heavy nonmagnetic impurities (gold) in our samples produces, even in linear transport, a shoulder in the dephasing rate at very low temperatures. We then show theoretically that low-lying local defects may produce a relatively large dephasing rate at low temperatures. However, as expected, this rate in fact vanishes when $T \to 0$, in agreement with our experimental observations.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the Euresco Conference on Fundamental Problems of Mesoscopic Physics, Granada, September 2003, Kluwe

Phase-coherence time saturation in mesoscopic systems: wave function collapse

A finite phase-coherence time $\tau_{\phi}^{meas}$ emerges from iterative measurement onto a quantum system. For a rapid sequence, the phase-coherence time is found explicitly. For the stationary charge conduction problem, it is bounded. At all order, in the time-interval of measurements, we propose a general expression for $\tau_{\phi}^{meas}$.Comment: 8 pages, 0 figures, Late

Electronic Transport in a Three-dimensional Network of 1-D Bismuth Quantum Wires

The resistance R of a high density network of 6 nm diameter Bi wires in porous Vycor glass is studied in order to observe its expected semiconductor behavior. R increases from 300 K down to 0.3 K. Below 4 K, where R varies approximately as ln(1/T), the order-of-magnitude of the resistance rise, as well as the behavior of the magnetoresistance are consistent with localization and electron-electron interaction theories of a one-dimensional disordered conductor in the presence of strong spin-orbit scattering. We show that this behaviour and the surface-enhanced carrier density may mask the proposed semimetal-to-semiconductor transition for quantum Bi wires.Comment: 19 pages total, 4 figures; accepted for publication in Phys. Rev.

Geometry dependent dephasing in small metallic wires

Temperature dependent weak localization is measured in metallic nanowires in a previously unexplored size regime down to width $w=5$ nm. The dephasing time, $\tau_{\phi}$, shows a low temperature $T$ dependence close to quasi-1D theoretical expectations ($\tau_{\phi} \sim T^{-2/3}$) in the narrowest wires, but exhibits a relative saturation as $T \to 0$ for wide samples of the same material, as observed previously. As only sample geometry is varied to exhibit both suppression and divergence of $\tau_{\phi}$, this finding provides a new constraint on models of dephasing phenomena.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Interaction effects and phase relaxation in disordered systems

This paper is intended to demonstrate that there is no need to revise the existing theory of the transport properties of disordered conductors in the so-called weak localization regime. In particular, we demonstrate explicitly that recent attempts to justify theoretically that the dephasing rate (extracted from the magnetoresistance) remains finite at zero temperature are based on the profoundly incorrect calculation. This demonstration is based on a straightforward evaluation of the effect of the electron-electron interaction on the weak localization correction to the conductivity of disordered metals. Using well-controlled perturbation theory with the inverse conductance $g$ as the small parameter, we show that this effect consists of two contributions. First contribution comes from the processes with energy transfer smaller than the temperature. This contribution is responsible for setting the energy scale for the magnetoresistance. The second contribution originates from the virtual processes with energy transfer larger than the temperature. It is shown that the latter processes have nothing to do with the dephasing, but rather manifest the second order (in $1/g$) correction to the conductance. This correction is calculated for the first time. The paper also contains a brief review of the existing experiments on the dephasing of electrons in disordered conductors and an extended qualitative discussion of the quantum corrections to the conductivity and to the density of electronic states in the weak localization regime.Comment: 34 pages, 13 .eps figure

Electron-Assisted Hopping in Two Dimensions

We have studied the non-ohmic effects in the conductivity of a two-dimensional system which undergoes the crossover from weak to strong localization with decreasing electron concentration. When the electrons are removed from equilibrium with phonons, the hopping conductivity depends only on the electron temperature. This indicates that the hopping transport in a system with a large localization length is assisted by electron-electron interactions rather than by the phonons.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Улучшение теплогидравлических характеристик рекуперативных теплообменников с вторичными излучателями

У роботі представлені результати порівняльних експериментальних досліджень теплообміну і аеродинаміки в високотемпературних рекуператорах авторської та альтернативних конструкцій. Дослідження проводилися на вогневому стенді з метою порівняння характеристик дослідних секцій BD гладкотрубних петлевих рекуператорів і зразків з інтенсифікаторами теплообміну різної геометрії: 1) конструкцій SP зі спіральними вставками, встановленими по всій довжині теплообмінних труб(відносний крок спіралей = s/d = 4,0). Такі рекуператори відповідають існуючим закордонним аналогам; 2) конструкції MD авторської розробки з гнучкими хрестоподібними вставками – вторинними випромінювачами, встановленими по всій довжині теплообмінних труб. Визначенотеплотехнічні та теплогідравлічні переваги запропонованих рекуператорів типу MD порівняно іззакордонними конструкціями зі спіральними вставками – турбулізаторами і традиційними вітчизняними гладкотрубними рекуператорами.In frame of the presented work the results of comparative experimental investigations carried out on heat transfer and fluid dynamics processes within high temperature recuperators of the authors’ and alternative designs are discussed. The researches were fulfilled at firing rig with a purpose of comparison the characteristics of the test sections of smooth tube recuperator (BD) and the specimens with the facilities of different geometry providing heat transfer intensification: 1) the designs SP with the spiral inserts installed by the whole length of heat exchange tubes with the relative pitch of the spirals s/d = 4,0. These recuperators meetthe existing foreign analogous prototypes; 2) design MD of authors’ design with flexible cross-shaped inserts – the secondary emitters installed by the whole length of heat-exchange tubes. The heat engineering and combined heat and hydraulic advantages of proposed recuperators of MD type in comparison with the foreign designs with the spiral inserts – turbulators and with traditional native smooth-tube recuperators (BD) have been identified. It has been stated that especially appreciable results of the tests make the advantages of MD design regarding the most representative temperature criterion – temperature difference ΔTw-a between the tube walls and of an air flow. This value for authors’ design is decreased approximately 4 times in comparison with BD design and more than 2 times lower in comparison with that for foreign designs SP.В работе представлены результаты сопоставительных экспериментальных исследований теплообмена и аэродинамики в высокотемпературных рекуператорах авторской и альтернативных конструкций. Исследования проводились на огневом стенде с целью сравнения характеристик опытных секций BD гладкотрубных петлевых рекуператоров и образцов с интенсификаторами теплообмена различной геометрии: 1) конструкций SP со спиральными вставками, установленными по всей длине теплообменных труб (относительный шаг спиралей = s/d = 4,0). Такие рекуператоры соответствуют существующим зарубежным аналогам; 2) конструкции MD авторской разработки с гибкими крестообразными вставками - вторичными излучателями, установленными по всей длине теплообменных труб. Определены теплотехнические и теплогидравлические преимущества предложенных рекуператоров типа MD по сравнению с зарубежными конструкциями со спиральными вставками – турбулизаторами и традиционными отечественными гладкотрубными рекуператорами