Two-dimensional metal-insulator transition as a percolation transition in a high-mobility electron system

By carefully analyzing the low temperature density dependence of 2D conductivity in undoped high-mobility n-GaAs heterostructures, we conclude that the 2D metal-insulator transition in this 2D electron system is a density inhomogeneity driven percolation transition due to the breakdown of screening in the random charged impurity disorder background. In particular, our measured conductivity exponent of ∼ 1.4 approaches the 2D percolation exponent value of 4/3 at low temperatures and our experimental data are inconsistent with there being a zero-temperature quantum critical point in our system. © 2005 The American Physical Society.