Electron Tesla valve

TL;DR

This paper introduces a solid-state Tesla valve device in a high-mobility GaAs electron gas that rectifies electron flow using hydrodynamic effects, demonstrating turbulent regimes and novel electronic functionalities.

Contribution

It presents the first functional electronic device exploiting electron hydrodynamics, specifically a rectifier based on turbulence-like behavior in electron liquids.

Findings

Device exhibits over tenfold resistance difference between forward and reverse flow.

Threshold behavior indicates onset of turbulence in electron liquid.

Hydrodynamic analogy enables new electronic device concepts.

Abstract

In solids, frequent electron-electron collisions can induce collective, fluid-like electron transport. While this regime offers a powerful framework for exploring many-body phenomena, there is still a lack in functional electronic device actively exploiting hydrodynamic behaviour of electrons. Here, we introduce a solid-state analogue of a Tesla valve $\unicode{x2013}$ a passive fluidic diode that rectifies flow without moving parts. Lithographically defined in high-mobility GaAs two-dimensional electron gas, the device exhibits abrupt rectification producing a more than tenfold difference between forward and reverse resistances. This threshold behaviour, reminiscent of the onset of turbulence in fluidic Tesla valves, points to the emergence of turbulent regime in the electron liquid $\unicode{x2013}$ a long-predicted, but yet unobserved state of electronic matter. More broadly, our work demonstrates the fruitfulness of the hydrodynamic analogy: fluidic technologies can be readily adopted to create novel electronic devices. Here, this is realized through a solid-state rectifier whose operation relies on a new physical mechanism, interparticle collisions.