Metal-Insulator Transition in Disordered Two-Dimensional Electron Systems
Alexander Punnoose1* and
Alexander M. Finkel'stein2
We present a theory of the metal-insulator transition in a disordered
two-dimensional electron gas. A quantum critical point, separating
the metallic phase, which is stabilized by electronic interactions,
from the insulating phase, where disorder prevails over the
electronic interactions, has been identified. The existence
of the quantum critical point leads to a divergence in the density
of states of the underlying collective modes at the transition,
causing the thermodynamic properties to behave critically as
the transition is approached. We show that the interplay of
electron-electron interactions and disorder can explain the
observed transport properties and the anomalous enhancement
of the spin susceptibility near the metal-insulator transition.
2 Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: punnoose{at}lucent.com
