The role of small-angle electron–electron scattering in transverse magnetic focusing experiment

We demonstrate the crucial role of small-angle scattering in transverse magnetic focusing (TMF) in ballistic GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures. Measurements in various samples show that the role significantly depends on their geometry. We propose a phenomenological model parameterizing this dependence with the angular acceptance of the detecting contact. This model is consistent with the diversity of experimental data and, therefore, enables accurate extraction of the key characteristic of inter-electron (e–e) interaction—the e–e scattering length—from TMF experiment, thus turning it into a uniquely effective tool for studying e–e scattering.