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APS » Journals » Phys. Rev. Lett. » Volume 89 » Issue 24
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Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 246801 (2002) [4 pages]

Density-Dependent Spin Polarization in Ultra-Low-Disorder Quantum Wires

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D. J. Reilly1,2,*, T. M. Buehler1,2, J. L. O’Brien1,2, A. R. Hamilton1,2, A. S. Dzurak1,3, R. G. Clark1,2, B. E. Kane†, L. N. Pfeiffer4, and K. W. West4
1Centre for Quantum Computer Technology, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
2School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
3School of Electrical Engineering & Telecommunications, University of New South Wales, Sydney 2052, Australia
4Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974

Received 14 March 2002; published 20 November 2002

See accompanying Physics Focus

There is controversy as to whether a one-dimensional (1D) electron gas can spin polarize in the absence of a magnetic field. Together with a simple model, we present conductance measurements on ultra-low-disorder quantum wires supportive of a spin polarization at B=0. A spin energy gap is indicated by the presence of a feature in the range (0.5–0.7)×2e2/h in conductance data. Importantly, it appears that the spin gap is not constant but a function of the electron density. Data obtained using a bias spectroscopy technique are consistent with the spin gap widening further as the Fermi level is increased.

© 2002 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.246801
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.246801
PACS:
73.61.–r, 73.23.Ad

*Email address: djr@jupiter.phys.unsw.edu.au

†Present address: Laboratory for Physical Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740.

 
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