Dimensional crossover in quantum networks: from macroscopic to mesoscopic physics.
We report on magnetoconductance measurements of metallic networks of various sizes ranging from 10 to 10(6) plaquettes, with an anisotropic aspect ratio. Both Altshuler-Aronov-Spivak h/2e periodic oscillations and Aharonov-Bohm h/e periodic oscillations are observed for all networks. For large samples, the amplitude of both oscillations results from the incoherent superposition of contributions of phase coherent regions. When the transverse size becomes smaller than the phase coherent length Lphi, one enters a new regime which is phase coherent (mesoscopic) along one direction and macroscopic along the other, leading to a new size dependence of the quantum oscillations.
Schopfer
Félicien
F
Institut Néel, CNRS, 25 avenue des Martyrs, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble Cedex 09, France.
Mallet
François
F
Mailly
Dominique
D
Texier
Christophe
C
Montambaux
Gilles
G
Bäuerle
Christopher
C
Saminadayar
Laurent
L