Metal–insulator transition

Abstract: The dynamics of an ultracold dilute gas of bosonic atoms in an optical lattice can be described by a Bose-Hubbard model where the system parameters are controlled by laser light We study the continuous (zero temperature) quantum phase transition from the superfluid to the Mott insulator phase induced by varying the depth of the optical potential, where the Mott insulator phase corresponds to a commensurate filling of the lattice (``optical crystal'') Examples for formation of Mott structures in optical lattices with a superimposed harmonic trap and in optical superlattices are presented

Abstract: A discussion is given of some aspects of the metal insulator transition. Particular attention is paid to the status of the “minimum metallic conductivity”. The concept is valid for liquids, and in some, but not all, solid systems.

Abstract: A general survey of the idea of the metal-nonmetal transition is given with particular emphasis to the following points: (a) is the transition of first order; (b) can one observe the transition; and (c) how is the transition affected when it occurs in ionic lattices or polar liquids.

Abstract: We have investigated carrier transport in a crystalline oxide semiconductor InGaO3(ZnO)5 using single-crystalline thin films. When carrier concentration is less than 2×1018cm−3, logarithm of electrical conductivity decreases in proportion to T−1∕4 and room-temperature Hall mobility was as low as ∼1cm2(Vs)−1. When carrier concentration was increased to 4×1018cm−3, the conduction mechanism changed to degenerate conduction and room-temperature Hall mobility was steeply increased to >10cm2(Vs)−1, showing metal–insulator transition behavior. These results are explained by percolation conduction over distribution of potential barriers formed around conduction band edge. The potential distribution is a consequence of potential modulation originating from random distribution of Ga3+ and Zn2+ ions in the crystal structure of InGaO3(ZnO)5.

Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) materials are a new class of materials with interesting physical properties and ranging from nanoelectronics to sensing and photonics. In addition to graphene, the most studied 2D material, monolayers of other layered materials such as semiconducting dichalcogenides MoS2 or WSe2 are gaining in importance as promising insulators and channel materials for field-effect transistors (FETs). The presence of a direct band gap in monolayer MoS2 due to quantum mechanical confinement, allows room-temperature field-effect transistors with an on/off ratio exceeding 108. The presence of high-k dielectrics in these devices enhanced their mobility, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Here, we report on electrical transport measurements on MoS2 FETs in different dielectric configurations. Mobility dependence on temperature shows clear evidence of the strong suppression of charge impurity scattering in dual-gate devices with a top-gate dielectric together with phonon scattering that shows a weaker than expected temperature dependence. High levels of doping achieved in dual-gate devices also allow the observation of a metal-insulator transition in monolayer MoS2. Our work opens up the way to further improvements in 2D semiconductor performance and introduces MoS2 as an interesting system for studying correlation effects in mesoscopic systems.