title: Disordered RuO2 exhibits two dimensional, low-mobility transport and a metal-insulator transition.
abstract: The discovery of low-dimensional metallic systems such as high-mobility metal oxide field-effect transistors, the cuprate superconductors, and conducting oxide interfaces (e.g., LaAlO3/SrTiO3) has stimulated research into the nature of electronic transport in two-dimensional systems given that the seminal theory for transport in disordered metals predicts that the metallic state cannot exist in two dimensions (2D). In this report, we demonstrate the existence of a metal-insulator transition (MIT) in highly disordered RuO2 nanoskins with carrier concentrations that are one-to-six orders of magnitude higher and with mobilities that are one-to-six orders of magnitude lower than those reported previously for 2D oxides. The presence of an MIT and the accompanying atypical electronic characteristics place this form of the oxide in a highly diffusive, strong disorder regime and establishes the existence of a metallic state in 2D that is analogous to the three-dimensional case.
authors.affiliation: Materials and Sensors Branch (Code 6360), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Osofsky
authors.affiliation: Electromagnetics Technology Branch (Code 6850), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Krowne
authors.affiliation: Materials and Sensors Branch (Code 6360), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Charipar
authors.affiliation: Materials and Sensors Branch (Code 6360), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bussmann
authors.affiliation: Surface Chemistry Branch (Code 6170), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Chervin
authors.affiliation: Surface Chemistry Branch (Code 6170), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: I R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Pala
authors.affiliation: Surface Chemistry Branch (Code 6170), U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375, USA.
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Rolison