Radiation-Induced Magnetoresistance Oscillations in a 2D Electron Gas

Adam C. Durst, Subir Sachdev, N. Read, S. M. Girvin

Published 2003-01-29, updated 2003-08-25Version 3

Recent measurements of a 2D electron gas subjected to microwave radiation reveal a magnetoresistance with an oscillatory dependence on the ratio of radiation frequency to cyclotron frequency. We perform a diagrammatic calculation and find radiation-induced resistivity oscillations with the correct period and phase. Results are explained via a simple picture of current induced by photo-excited disorder-scattered electrons. The oscillations increase with radiation intensity, easily exceeding the dark resistivity and resulting in negative-resistivity minima. At high intensity, we identify additional features, likely due to multi-photon processes, which have yet to be observed experimentally.