Using scanning gate microscopy (SGM), we probe the scattering between a beam of electrons and a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) as a function of the beams injection energy, and distance from the injection point. At low injection energies, we find
electrons in the beam scatter by small-angles, as has been previously observed. At high injection energies, we find a surprising result: placing the SGM tip where it back-scatters electrons increases the differential conductance through the system. This effect is explained by a non-equilibrium distribution of electrons in a localized region of 2DEG near the injection point. Our data indicate that the spatial extent of this highly non-equilibrium distribution is within ~1 micrometer of the injection point. We approximate the non-equilibrium region as having an effective temperature that depends linearly upon injection energy.
We show an electron interferometer between a quantum point contact (QPC) and a scanning gate microscope (SGM) tip in a two-dimensional electron gas. The QPC and SGM tip act as reflective barriers of a lossy cavity; the conductance through the system
thus varies as a function of the distance between the QPC and SGM tip. We characterize how temperature, electron wavelength, cavity length, and reflectivity of the QPC barrier affect the interferometer. We report checkerboard interference patterns near the QPC and, when injecting electrons above or below the Fermi energy, effects of dephasing.
GaAs-based two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) show a wealth of remarkable electronic states, and serve as the basis for fast transistors, research on electrons in nanostructures, and prototypes of quantum-computing schemes. All these uses depend
on the extremely low levels of disorder in GaAs 2DEGs, with low-temperature mean free paths ranging from microns to hundreds of microns. Here we study how disorder affects the spatial structure of electron transport by imaging electron flow in three different GaAs/AlGaAs 2DEGs, whose mobilities range over an order of magnitude. As expected, electrons flow along narrow branches that we find remain straight over a distance roughly proportional to the mean free path. We also observe two unanticipated phenomena in high-mobility samples. In our highest-mobility sample we observe an almost complete absence of sharp impurity or defect scattering, indicated by the complete suppression of quantum coherent interference fringes. Also, branched flow through the chaotic potential of a high-mobility sample remains stable to significant changes to the initial conditions of injected electrons.
