Nonequilibrium phenomena in high Landau levels

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent discoveries of nonequilibrium magnetoresistance phenomena in high Landau levels of 2D electron systems, including experimental observations and a unified quantum kinetic theory framework.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of experimental results and introduces a unified theoretical approach to describe nonequilibrium phenomena in high Landau levels.

Findings

Observation of microwave-induced resistance oscillations

Identification of zero-resistance and zero-differential resistance states

Development of a quantum kinetic equation framework

Abstract

Developments in the physics of 2D electron systems during the last decade have revealed a new class of nonequilibrium phenomena in the presence of a moderately strong magnetic field. The hallmark of these phenomena is magnetoresistance oscillations generated by the external forces that drive the electron system out of equilibrium. The rich set of dramatic phenomena of this kind, discovered in high mobility semiconductor nanostructures, includes, in particular, microwave radiation-induced resistance oscillations and zero-resistance states, as well as Hall field-induced resistance oscillations and associated zero-differential resistance states. We review the experimental manifestations of these phenomena and the unified theoretical framework for describing them in terms of a quantum kinetic equation. The survey contains also a thorough discussion of the magnetotransport properties of 2D electrons in the linear response regime, as well as an outlook on future directions, including related nonequilibrium phenomena in other 2D electron systems.