In-plane Magnetic Field Induced Kosterlitz-Thouless Type Metal Insulator Transition in Coupled Double Quantum Wells

Abstract

We study the localization properties in coupled double quantum wells with an in-plane magnetic field. The localization length is directly calculated using a transfer matrix technique and finite size scaling analysis. We show that the system maps into a 2D XY model and undergoes a disorder driven Kosterlitz-Thouless type metal-insulator transition depending on the coupling strength between the two-dimensional layers and the magnitude of the in-plane magnetic field. For a system with fixed disorder, the metallic regime appears to be a window in the magnetic field - coupling strength plane. Experimental implications of the transition will be discussed.