Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transport of Electrons on Liquid Helium Across a Tunable Potential Barrier in a Point Contact-like Geometry

  • Published:
Journal of Low Temperature Physics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We present transport measurements of electrons bound to the surface of superfluid 4He in a microchannel of width 10 μm. A set of electrodes 2 μm beneath the helium surface, fabricated in a split-gate configuration using electron beam lithography, are used to control the current along the microchannel as in a point contact device. As the split-gate bias V SG is swept negative the current decreases to zero. The value of V SG at which the current is suppressed is dependent on the AC driving voltage applied to the electron system. We explain our results using a simple model in which a potential barrier created by the split-gate electrodes must be overcome in order to allow current to flow in the microchannel. The control of electron transport in such confined geometries may offer new possibilities for mesoscopic experiments with electrons on the surface of liquid helium.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. E.Y. Andrei (ed.), Two-Dimensional Electron Systems on helium and Other Cryogenic Substrates (Kluwer, Dordrecht/Heidelberg, 1997)

    Google Scholar 

  2. G.C. Grimes, G. Adams, Phys. Rev. Lett. 42, 795–798 (1979)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. G. Piacente, I.V. Schweigert, J.J. Betouras, F.M. Peeters, Phys. Rev. B 69, 045324 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. P. Glasson, V. Dotsenko, P. Fozooni, M.J. Lea, W. Bailey, G. Papageorgiou, S.E. Andresen, A. Kristensen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 176802 (2001)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. G. Papageorgiou, P. Glasson, K. Harrabi, V. Antonov, E. Collin, P. Fozooni, P.G. Frayne, M.J. Lea, D.G. Rees, Y. Mukharsky, Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 153106 (2005)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. J. Klier, I. Doicescu, P. Leiderer, J. Low Temp. Phys. 121(5–6), 603–608 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. G. Sabouret, F.R. Bradbury, S. Shankar, J.A. Bert, S.A. Lyon, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 082104 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. P. Glasson, S. Erfurt Andresen, G. Ensell, V. Dotsenko, W. Bailey, P. Fozooni, A. Kristensen, M.J. Lea, Physica B: Condens. Matter 284–288, 1916–1917 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. M.A. Topinka, B.J. LeRoy, S.E.J. Shaw, E.J. Heller, R.M. Westervelt, K.D. Maranowski, A.C. Gossard, Science 289, 2323–2326 (2000)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. H. Ikegami, H. Akimoto, K. Kono, Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 046807 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. E. Rousseau, D. Ponarin, L. Hristakos, O. Avenel, E. Varoquaux, Y. Mukharsky, Phys. Rev. B 79, 045406 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. RIKEN (The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research), Hirosawa 2-1, Wako, Saitama, 351-0198, Japan

    David Rees & Kimitoshi Kono

Authors
  1. David Rees
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kimitoshi Kono
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Rees.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rees, D., Kono, K. Transport of Electrons on Liquid Helium Across a Tunable Potential Barrier in a Point Contact-like Geometry. J Low Temp Phys 158, 301–306 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-009-9979-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10909-009-9979-7

PACS

Search

Navigation