Pascal conductance series in ballistic one-dimensional LaAlO<sub>3</sub>/SrTiO<sub>3</sub> channels.

Briggeman, Megan; Tomczyk, Michelle; Tian, Binbin; Lee, Hyungwoo; Lee, Jung-Woo; He, Yuchi; Tylan-Tyler, Anthony; Huang, Mengchen et al. · Science · 2020

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

One-dimensional electronic systems can support exotic collective phases because of the enhanced role of electron correlations. We describe the experimental observation of a series of quantized conductance steps within strongly interacting electron waveguides formed at the lanthanum aluminate-strontium titanate (LaAlO<sub>3</sub>/SrTiO<sub>3</sub>) interface. The waveguide conductance follows a characteristic sequence within Pascal's triangle: (1, 3, 6, 10, 15, …) ⋅ <i>e</i> <sup>2</sup> <i>/h</i>, where <i>e</i> is the electron charge and <i>h</i> is the Planck constant. This behavior is consistent with the existence of a family of degenerate quantum liquids formed from bound states of <i>n</i> = 2, 3, 4, … electrons. Our experimental setup could provide a setting for solid-state analogs of a wide range of composite fermionic phases.