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Science 18 May 2001:
Vol. 292. no. 5520, pp. 1354 - 1357
DOI: 10.1126/science.1058645
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Reports

Microscopic Structure of the Metal-Insulator Transition in Two Dimensions

S. Ilani,* A. Yacoby, D. Mahalu, Hadas Shtrikman

A single electron transistor is used as a local electrostatic probe to study the underlying spatial structure of the metal-insulator transition in two dimensions. The measurements show that as we approach the transition from the metallic side, a new phase emerges that consists of weakly coupled fragments of the two-dimensional system. These fragments consist of localized charge that coexists with the surrounding metallic phase. As the density is lowered into the insulating phase, the number of fragments increases on account of the disappearing metallic phase. The measurements reveal that the metal-insulator transition is a result of the microscopic restructuring that occurs in the system.

Braun Center for Submicron Research, Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: shahal.ilani{at}weizmann.ac.il

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THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Long-Range Order in Electronic Transport Through Disordered Metal Films.
S. Aigner, L. D. Pietra, Y. Japha, O. Entin-Wohlman, T. David, R. Salem, R. Folman, and J. Schmiedmayer (2008)
Science 319, 1226-1229
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Metal-Insulator Transition in Disordered Two-Dimensional Electron Systems.
A. Punnoose and A. M. Finkel'stein (2005)
Science 310, 289-291
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Localization of Fractionally Charged Quasi-Particles.
J. Martin, S. Ilani, B. Verdene, J. Smet, V. Umansky, D. Mahalu, D. Schuh, G. Abstreiter, and A. Yacoby (2004)
Science 305, 980-983
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