Evidence for zero-differential resistance states in electronic bilayers

TL;DR

This paper reports the observation of zero-differential resistance states in a bilayer electron system, supported by theory, indicating current domain formation due to negative differential resistivity.

Contribution

First experimental evidence of zero-differential resistance states in bilayer systems with theoretical analysis explaining their origin.

Findings

Zero-differential resistance states observed at low temperatures.

Regions of vanishing resistance evolve from magneto-intersubband oscillations.

Instability of homogeneous current flow leads to current domain formation.

Abstract

We observe zero-differential resistance states at low temperatures and moderate direct currents in a bilayer electron system formed by a wide quantum well. Several regions of vanishing resistance evolve from the inverted peaks of magneto-intersubband oscillations as the current increases. The experiment, supported by a theoretical analysis, suggests that the origin of this phenomenon is based on instability of homogeneous current flow under conditions of negative differential resistivity which leads to formation of current domains in our sample, similar to the case of single-layer systems.