Magnetic Field Suppression of the Conducting Phase in Two Dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how a magnetic field suppresses the conducting phase in two-dimensional electron systems, revealing a transition to an insulating state and drawing parallels to superconductor-insulator transitions.

Contribution

It demonstrates that even weak magnetic fields can suppress the conducting phase in 2D electron systems, highlighting a transition mechanism similar to superconductor-insulator phenomena.

Findings

Magnetic field induces a transition from conducting to insulating phase.

Weak magnetic fields can suppress the conducting phase as temperature approaches zero.

Similarities between magnetic field effects in 2D electron systems and superconductor-insulator transitions.

Abstract

The anomalous conducting phase that has been shown to exist in zero field in dilute two-dimensional electron systems in silicon MOSFETs is driven into a strongly insulating state by a magnetic field of about 20 kOe applied parallel to the plane. The data suggest that in the limit of T -> 0 the conducting phase is suppressed by an arbitrarily weak magnetic field. We call attention to striking similarities to magnetic field-induced superconductor-insulator transitions.