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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Two-dimensional hydrodynamic viscous electron flow in annular Corbino rings

Sujatha Vijayakrishnan1, Z. Berkson-Korenberg1, J. Mainville1, L. W. Engel2, M. P. Lilly3, K. W. West4, L. N. Pfeiffer4, and G. Gervais1,*

  • *Contact author: gervais@physics.mcgill.ca
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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L022029 – Published 2 May, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.7.L022029

Abstract

The concept of fluidic viscosity is ubiquitous in condensed-matter systems hosting a continuum where macroscopic properties can emerge. While an important property of liquids and some solids, only recently was the viscosity of an electron shown to play a role in electronic transport experiments. In this Letter, we present nonlocal electronic transport measurements in concentric annular rings formed in high-mobility two-dimensional electron gases, and the resulting data show that viscous hydrodynamic flow can occur far away from the source-drain current region. Our conclusion of viscous electronic transport is further corroborated by simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations that are found to be in agreement with our measurements below T=1K. Finally, this work emphasizes the key role played by viscosity via electron-electron (e−e) interaction even when the electronic transport is restricted radially, and for which a priori it should have played no major role.

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Phys. Rev. Research 7, L022029– Published 2 May, 2025
  • Received 10 June 2024
  • Accepted 7 February 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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