Slip electron flow in GaAs microscale constrictions

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates perfect boundary slip in GaAs electron fluids within microscale constrictions, confirming hydrodynamic behavior and linking viscosity to electron-electron scattering, thus advancing understanding of electron hydrodynamics.

Contribution

It provides the first direct experimental evidence of perfect boundary slip in electron fluids and links viscosity to electron-electron scattering length in GaAs heterostructures.

Findings

Evidence of perfect boundary slip in GaAs electron flow

Quantitative relation between viscosity and electron-electron scattering length

Parallel to ultrafast water transport in nanofluidic systems

Abstract

Hydrodynamic electron transport in solids, governed by momentum-conserving electron-electron collisions, offers a unique framework to explore collective phenomena. Within this framework, correlated electron motion is modeled as viscous fluid flow, with viscosity serving as the interaction parameter. Advances in electron hydrodynamics remain constrained by two unresolved issues: the questionable existence of perfect boundary slip$\unicode{x2013}$a hallmark of frictionless transport$\unicode{x2013}$in electron fluids, and the lack of quantitative experimental confirmation of the theoretical relation linking the viscosity to electron-electron scattering length. Here, we resolve this through independent measurements of these quantities in the same electron system in GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. Our experiments provide direct evidence of perfect boundary slip in microscale constrictions$\unicode{x2013}$unprecedented phenomenon for electron liquid that parallels ultrafast water transport in carbon nanotubes. These findings bridge the fields of electron hydrodynamics and nanofluidics, highlighting the transformative potential of hydrodynamic engineering across condensed matter and fluidic technologies.