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We explore the scaling description for a two-dimensional metal-insulator transition (MIT) of electrons in silicon. Near the MIT, $beta_{T}/p = (-1/p)d(ln g)/d(ln T)$ is universal (with $p$, a sample dependent exponent, determined separately; $g$--conductance, $T$--temperature). We obtain the characteristic temperatures $T_0$ and $T_1$ demarking respectively the quantum critical region and the regime of validity of single parameter scaling in the metallic phase, and show that $T_1$ vanishes as the transition is approached. For $T<T_1$, the scaling of the data requires a second parameter. Moreover, all of the data can be described with two-parameter scaling at all densities -- even far from the transition.
The quantum phase transition between the three dimensional Dirac semimetal and the diffusive metal can be induced by increasing disorder. Taking the system of disordered $mathbb{Z}_2$ topological insulator as an important example, we compute the single particle density of states by the kernel polynomial method. We focus on three regions: the Dirac semimetal at the phase boundary between two topologically distinct phases, the tricritical point of the two topological insulator phases and the diffusive metal, and the diffusive metal lying at strong disorder. The density of states obeys a novel single parameter scaling, collapsing onto two branches of a universal scaling function, which correspond to the Dirac semimetal and the diffusive metal. The diverging length scale critical exponent $ u$ and the dynamical critical exponent $z$ are estimated, and found to differ significantly from those for the conventional Anderson transition. Critical behavior of experimentally observable quantities near and at the tricritical point is also discussed.
Reports of metallic behavior in two-dimensional (2D) systems such as high mobility metal-oxide field effect transistors, insulating oxide interfaces, graphene, and MoS2 have challenged the well-known prediction of Abrahams, et al. that all 2D systems must be insulating. The existence of a metallic state for such a wide range of 2D systems thus reveals a wide gap in our understanding of 2D transport that has become more important as research in 2D systems expands. A key to understanding the 2D metallic state is the metal-insulator transition (MIT). In this report, we demonstrate the existence of a disorder induced MIT in functionalized graphene, a model 2D system. Magneto-transport measurements show that weak-localization overwhelmingly drives the transition, in contradiction to theoretical assumptions that enhanced electron-electron interactions dominate. These results provide the first detailed picture of the nature of the transition from the metallic to insulating states of a 2D system.
The recently discovered three dimensional or bulk topological insulators are expected to exhibit exotic quantum phenomena. It is believed that a trivial insulator can be twisted into a topological state by modulating the spin-orbit interaction or the crystal lattice via odd number of band
Using symmetry breaking strain to tune the valley occupation of a two-dimensional (2D) electron system in an AlAs quantum well, together with an applied in-plane magnetic field to tune the spin polarization, we independently control the systems valley and spin degrees of freedom and map out a spin-valley phase diagram for the 2D metal-insulator transition. The insulating phase occurs in the quadrant where the system is both spin- and valley-polarized. This observation establishes the equivalent roles of spin and valley degrees of freedom in the 2D metal-insulator transition.
We investigate the finite-size scaling behavior of the conductivity in a two-dimensional Dirac electron gas within a chiral sigma model. Based on the fact that the conductivity is a function of system size times scattering rate, we obtain a two-parameter scaling flow toward a finite fixed point. The latter is the minimal conductivity of the infinite system. Depending on boundary conditions, we also observe unstable fixed points with conductivities much larger than the experimentally observed values, which may account for results found in some numerical simulations. By including a spectral gap we extend our scaling approach to describe a metal-insulator transition.