A New Liquid Phase and Metal-Insulator Transition in Si MOSFETs

TL;DR

This paper proposes a new liquid phase in 2D electron systems in Si MOSFETs at low densities, explaining the metal-insulator transition as a percolation crossover influenced by disorder.

Contribution

It introduces a novel liquid phase in Si MOSFETs and links the metal-insulator transition to a percolation process below the critical temperature.

Findings

Identification of a new liquid phase in 2D electron systems

Explanation of the metal-insulator transition as a percolation crossover

Discussion of implications for experimental observations

Abstract

We argue that there is a new liquid phase in the two-dimensional electron system in Si MOSFETs at low enough electron densities. The recently observed metal-insulator transition results as a crossover from the percolation transition of the liquid phase through the disorder landscape in the system below the liquid-gas critical temperature. The consequences of our theory are discussed for variety of physical properties relevant to the recent experiments.