title: Scaling Theory of a Compressibility-Driven Metal-Insulator Transition in a Two-Dimensional Electron Fluid.
abstract: We present a scaling description of a metal-insulator transition in two-dimensional electron systems that is driven by a vanishing compressibility rather than a vanishing diffusion coefficient. A small set of basic assumptions leads to a consistent theoretical framework that is compatible with existing transport and compressibility measurements, and allows us to make predictions for other observables. We also discuss connections between these ideas and other theories of transitions to an incompressible quantum fluid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Institute of Theoretical Science, and Materials Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Belitz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physical Science and Technology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Kirkpatrick