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Electron Tesla valve

Daniil I. Sarypov, Dmitriy A. Pokhabov, Arthur G. Pogosov, Evgeny Yu. Zhdanov, Andrey A. Shevyrin, Askhat K. Bakarov

Abstract

In solids, frequent electron-electron collisions can induse 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 exploting 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.

Electron Tesla valve

Abstract

In solids, frequent electron-electron collisions can induse 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 exploting hydrodynamic behaviour of electrons. Here, we introduce a solid-state analogue of a Tesla valve 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 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.
Paper Structure (4 sections, 3 equations, 5 figures)

This paper contains 4 sections, 3 equations, 5 figures.

Table of Contents

  1. Growth of heterostructure.
  2. Lithography
  3. Transport measurements
  4. Characteristics of electron system: scattering lengths, electron temperature and Reynolds number.

Figures (5)

  • Figure 1: GaAs Tesla valve for electron liquid.a, Schematics of original design adopted from N. Tesla's patent tesla1920. b, GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure with two-dimensional electron liquid in a GaAs quantum well. c, False-color optical micrograph of one of the created valves, overlaid with the four-probe measurement schematic. Scale bar is $5$$\mu$m. d, Diode efficiency $Di$ for device shown in b, measured as the ratio of reverse to forward resistance values.
  • Figure 1: Heterostructure and transport parameters.a, Illustration of the GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. b, The scheme of the Tesla valve segment for magnetoresistance measurement. c-d, The resistance of the Tesla valve segment in magnetic field. e, The macroscopic Hall bar used to measure electron mobility. f-g, Temperature dependences of the Hall bar resistance and electron mobility.
  • Figure 2: Electron transport in Tesla valves.a, False-color optical micrograph of GaAs Tesla valves of different widths. b,I-V characteristics of the devices shown in a at lattice temperature of $T=4$ K. c,d Resistance of Tesla valves and diodicity $Di$ as functions of DC current at lattice temperature of $T=4$ K.
  • Figure 3: Temperature dependence of the diodicity.a, Diodicity $Di$ of wide ($W=5$$\mu$m) Tesla valve at different lattice temperatures. b, Characteristic lengthscales of studied system: widths $W$ of the Tesla valves , momentum relaxing length $l_\mathrm{MR}$, e-e scattering length $l_{ee}$.
  • Figure 4: No rectification in a reference sample without loops.a, False-color optical image of the reference device. b,I-V characteristics of the device demonstrating no rectification. Inset shows the resistance of the reference sample as function of DC current.