- Accepted Paper
Rectification at high currents in asymmetric two-dimensional electron structures
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 26 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bwxl-wwt6
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 26 October, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bwxl-wwt6
In solids, frequent electron-electron collisions can induce collective, fluid-like electron transport. While this regime offers a powerful framework for exploring many-body phenomena, there is still a lack in functional electronic device actively exploiting hydrodynamic behaviour of electrons. Here, we introduce a solid-state analogue of a Tesla valve — a passive fluidic diode that rectifies flow without moving parts. Lithographically defined in high-mobility GaAs two-dimensional electron gas, the device exhibits abrupt rectification producing a more than tenfold difference between forward and reverse resistances. This threshold behaviour, reminiscent of the onset of turbulence in fluidic Tesla valves, points to the emergence of turbulent regime in the electron liquid — a long-predicted, but yet unobserved state of electronic matter. More broadly, our work demonstrates the fruitfulness of the hydrodynamic analogy: fluidic technologies can be readily adopted to create novel electronic devices. Here, this is realized through a solid-state rectifier whose operation relies on a new physical mechanism, interparticle collisions.
If the author has provided any supplemental materials with this article they will be available upon publication of the version of record.