Charge transport in a spin-polarized 2D electron system in silicon

The temperature dependences of the conductivity σ(T) of a strongly interacting 2D electron system in silicon have been analyzed both in zero magnetic field and in a spin-polarizing magnetic field of 14.2 T that is parallel to the sample plane. The measurements were carried out in a wide temperature range of 1.4–9 K in the ballistic regime of electron-electron interaction, i.e., for Tτ > 1. In zero magnetic field, the data obtained for σ(T) are quantitatively described by the theory of interaction corrections. In the fully spin-polarized state, the measured σ(T) dependences are not linear and even nonmonotonic in the same temperature range, where the dependences σ(T) are monotonic in the absence of the field. Nevertheless, the low-temperature parts of the experimental σ(T) dependences are linear and qualitatively consistent with the calculated quantum corrections.