Ballistic transport in induced one-dimensional hole systems

The authors have fabricated and studied a ballistic one-dimensional p-type quantum wire using an undoped AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. The absence of modulation doping eliminates remote ionized impurity scattering and allows high mobilities to be achieved over a wide range of hole densities and, in particular, at very low densities where carrier-carrier interactions are strongest. The device exhibits clear quantized conductance plateaus with highly stable gate characteristics. These devices provide opportunities for studying spin-orbit coupling and interaction effects in mesoscopic hole systems in the strong interaction regime where r(s)>10. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.