Nonlinear resistance of 2D electrons in crossed electric and magnetic fields

Jing Qiao Zhang, Sergey Vitkalov, A. A. Bykov

Published 2008-10-21, updated 2009-06-23Version 2

The longitudinal resistivity of two dimensional (2D) electrons placed in strong magnetic field is significantly reduced by applied electric field, an effect which is studied in a broad range of magnetic fields and temperatures in GaAs quantum wells with high electron density. The data are found to be in good agreement with theory, considering the strong nonlinearity of the resistivity as result of non-uniform spectral diffusion of the 2D electrons. Inelastic processes limit the diffusion. Comparison with the theory yields the inelastic scattering time of the two dimensional electrons. In the temperature range T=2-10(K) for overlapping Landau levels, the inelastic scattering rate is found to be proportional to T^2, indicating a dominant contribution of the electron-electron scattering to the inelastic relaxation. In a strong magnetic field, the nonlinear resistivity demonstrates scaling behavior, indicating a specific regime of electron heating of well-separated Landau levels. In this regime the inelastic scattering rate is found to be proportional to T^3, suggesting the electron-phonon scattering as the dominant mechanism of the inelastic relaxation.