Lifetime of Two-Dimensional Electrons Measured by Tunneling Spectroscopy

TL;DR

This paper uses tunneling spectroscopy to measure how the lifetime of electrons in two-dimensional systems varies with temperature, providing insights into electron-electron interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a method to accurately measure the temperature dependence of electron-electron scattering rates in 2D systems using tunneling spectroscopy.

Findings

Measured electron-electron scattering rates as a function of temperature.

Results qualitatively agree with theoretical predictions.

Demonstrated the sensitivity of tunneling spectroscopy to electronic spectral functions.

Abstract

For electrons tunneling between parallel two-dimensional electron systems, conservation of in-plane momentum produces sharply resonant current-voltage characteristics and provides a uniquely sensitive probe of the underlying electronic spectral functions. We report here the application of this technique to accurate measurements of the temperature dependence of the electron-electron scattering rate in clean two-dimensional systems. Our results are in qualitative agreement with existing calculations.