Nuclear Spin Ferromagnetic Phase Transition in an Interacting Two Dimensional Electron Gas

Abstract

Electrons in a two-dimensional semiconducting heterostructure interact with nuclear spins via the hyperfine interaction. Using a a Kondo lattice formulation of the electron-nuclear-spin interaction, we show that the nuclear-spin system within an interacting two-dimensional electron gas undergoes a ferromagnetic phase transition at finite temperatures. We find that electron-electron interactions and non-Fermi liquid behavior substantially enhance the nuclear-spin Curie temperature into the mK range with decreasing electron density.