Correlated electron states at level crossings of bilayer two-dimensional electron systems in tilted magnetic fields

We have measured the energy-level structure of high mobility, strongly coupled bilayer two-dimensional electron systems in tilted magnetic fields by means of magnetotransport experiments. At tilt angles where single-particle levels with opposite spin and symmetry cross, we observe a surprising sudden broadening of the quantum Hall plateaus and a deepening of the Shubnikov–de Haas minima. This observation is explained by an interaction-induced rearrangement of the energy level structure which strongly increases the energetic splitting of two (anti-)crossing levels.     

Detonation propagation with velocity deficits in narrow channels

Propagation limits of detonations in narrow channels have been studied with a focus on velocity deficits and variation in cell widths. A channel was formed by a pair of metal plates of 1500 mm length which were inserted in a detonation tube of 50.5 mm inner diameter. Test gases were hydrogen–oxygen mixtures diluted with argon or nitrogen, which were selected as representatives of regular and irregular mixture systems. The velocity deficits predicted using the concept of negative boundary layer displacement thickness were compared to those obtained experimentally. From good agreement between the predicted and the experimental velocity deficits, the cell width enlarged in the channel was calculated using the induction zone length behind the decelerated leading shock front. Although this calculation underestimates the cell widths, the calculated cell widths were found to be well predicted when they were multiplied by an appropriate proportionality factor. It is found that for given mixtures, a combination of the calculated velocity deficit and the number of cells in a channel contributes to the prediction of propagation limits of detonations.     

Correlated voltage probe model of relaxation in two Coulomb-coupled edge channels

A phenomenological correlated voltage probe model is introduced to mimic the effects of inelastic scattering between particles in different conduction channels of a phase coherent conductor. As an illustration, the non-equilibrium distribution functions of two noisy co-propagating chiral edge channels of the integer quantum Hall effect are calculated and compared with recent experiments. The method is further applied to calculate the linear response current noise through an interacting Mach–Zehnder interferometer.     

Electric- and magnetic-field-tuned Landau levels and Hall conductivity in AA-stacked bilayer graphene

We theoretically study the combined effect of magnetic and electric fields on the Landau levels and Hall conductivity in AA-stacked bilayer graphene. From the analytic expressions derived, we obtain explicit criterions for determining the zero-energy Landau level and different level crossings in the graphene bilayer. For providing a scheme of experimental verification, we further explore the quantum Hall effect in such a biased bilayer. It is found that the zero-conductance Hall plateau in this system can vanish at certain specific combinations of magnetic and electric fields, accompanying with the occurrence of resonance Hall conductivity steps.     

Widths of the Hall Conductance Plateaus

We study the charge transport of the noninteracting electron gas in a two-dimensional quantum Hall system with Anderson-type impurities at zero temperature. We prove that there exist localized states of the bulk order in the disordered-broadened Landau bands whose energies are smaller than a certain value determined by the strength of the uniform magnetic field. We also prove that, when the Fermi level lies in the localization regime, the Hall conductance is quantized to the desired integer and shows the plateau of the bulk order for varying the filling factor of the electrons rather than the Fermi level.     

The nature of the spectrum for a Landau Hamiltonian with delta impurities

We consider a single-band approximation to the random Schrödinger operator in an external magnetic field. The random potential consists of delta functions of random strengths situated on the sites of a regular two-dimensional lattice. We characterize the entire spectrum of this Hamiltonian when the magnetic field is sufficiently high. We show that the whole spectrum is pure point, the energy coinciding with the first Landau level in the absence of a random potential being infinitely degenerate, while the eigenfunctions corresponding to energies in the rest of the spectrum are localized.     

Charged magneto-exciton states in semiconductor quantum dots

By embedding a layer of self-assembled quantum dots into a field-effect structure, we are able to control the exciton charge in a single dot. We present the results of photoluminescence experiments as a function of both charge and magnetic field. The results demonstrate a hierarchy of energy scales determined by quantization, the direct Coulomb interaction, the electron–electron exchange interaction, and the electron–hole exchange interaction. For excitons up to the triply charged exciton, the behavior can be understood from a model assuming discrete levels within the quantum dot. For the triply charged exciton, this is no longer the case. In a magnetic field, we discover a coherent interaction with the continuum states, the Landau levels associated with the wetting layer.     

Reprint of : Correlated voltage probe model of relaxation in two Coulomb-coupled edge channels

A phenomenological correlated voltage probe model is introduced to mimic the effects of inelastic scattering between particles in different conduction channels of a phase coherent conductor. As an illustration, the non-equilibrium distribution functions of two noisy co-propagating chiral edge channels of the integer quantum Hall effect are calculated and compared with recent experiments. The method is further applied to calculate the linear response current noise through an interacting Mach–Zehnder interferometer.     

Thermodynamic properties of a quantum Hall anti-dot interferometer

We study quantum Hall interferometers in which the interference loop encircles a quantum anti-dot. We base our study on thermodynamic considerations, which we believe reflect the essential aspects of interference transport phenomena. We find that similar to the more conventional Fabry–Perot quantum Hall interferometers, in which the interference loop forms a quantum dot, the anti-dot interferometer is affected by the electro-static Coulomb interaction between the edge modes defining the loop. We show that in the Aharonov–Bohm regime, in which effects of fractional statistics should be visible, is easier to access in interferometers based on anti-dots than in those based on dots. We discuss the relevance of our results to recent measurements on anti-dots interferometers.     

Correlated electrons in coupled quantum dots and related phenomena

Three topics related to correlated electrons in coupled quantum dots are discussed. The first is quasi-resonance between multi-electron states, which causes hitherto unremarked types of resonant absorption in coupled quantum dots. The second is electron tunneling through a Hubbard gap, which is induced by an increase in the density of electrons in a quantum-dot chain under an overall confining potential. The third is Mott transition in a two-dimensional quantum-dot array induced by an external electric field. In this system, the metal-insulator transition goes through a heavy electron phase in which the density of correlated electrons fluctuates.     

Anomalous quantum Hall effect induced by nearby quantum dots

Transport measurements in high magnetic fields have been performed on two-dimensional electron system (2DES) separated by a thin barrier layer from a layer of InAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs). Clear feature of quantum Hall effect was observed in spite of presence of QDs nearby 2DES. However, both magnetoresistance, ρ_xx, and Hall resistance, ρ_xy, are suppressed significantly only in the magnetic field range of filling factor in 2DES ν<1 and voltage applied on a front gate . The results indicate that the electron state in QDs induces spin-flip process in 2DES.     

Quantum antidot as an electrometer:Observation of fractional charge

In experiments on resonant tunneling through a quantum antidot in the quantum Hall (QH) regime, we observe periodic conductance peaks both versus magnetic field and a global gate voltage, i.e., electric field. Each conductance peak can be attributed to tunneling through a quantized antidot-bound state. The fact that the variation of the uniform electric field produces conductance peaks implies that the deficiency of the electrical charge on the antidot is quantized in units of charge of quasiparticles of surrounding QH condensate. The period in magnetic field gives the effective area of the antidot state through which tunneling occurs, the period in electric field (obtained from the global gate voltage) then constitutes a direct measurement of the charge of the tunneling particles. We obtain electron charge C in the integer QH regime, and quasiparticle charge C for the QH state.     

Electron–hole states in the fractional quantum Hall regime probed by photoluminescence

The electron–hole states in the fractional quantum Hall regime is investigated with a back-gated undoped quantum well by photoluminesccence in magnetic fields. The evolution of the photoluminescence spectra is discussed depending on the electron density. We find anomalies of the photoluminescence at the integer as well as the fractional filling factors.     

Elliptic theta functions and the fractional quantum Hall effect

Algebro-geometric methods are applied to the theoretical understanding of the fractionary quantum Hall effect on a periodic lattice. The fermionic Fock space of the many-electron system is precisely identified, and as a consequence, the variational Haldane-Rezayi ground state is decomposed in terms of one-particle wave functions at the first Landau level; the filling factor is thus analytically computed. Quasi-hole and quasi-particle excitations are also analyzed. The center of mass dynamics is described in terms of a section in a very subtle stable vector bundle. The Hall conductance arises as a topological invariant; namely, the slope of the vector bundle previously mentioned.     

Detection of hidden localized states by the quantum Hall effect in graphene

We fabricated a monolayer graphene transistor device in the shape of the Hall-bar structure, which produced an exactly symmetric signal following the sample geometry. During electrical characterization, the device showed the standard integer quantum Hall effect of monolayer graphene except for a broader range of several quantum Hall plateaus corresponding to small filling factors in the electron region. We investigated this anomaly on the basis of localized states owing to the presence of possible electron traps, whose energy levels were estimated to be near the Dirac point. In particular, the inequality between the filling of electrons and holes was ascribed to the requirement of excess electrons to fill the trap levels. The relations between the quantum Hall plateau, Landau level, and filling factor were carefully analyzed to reveal the details of the localized states in this graphene device.     

Spin-dependent resistivity and quantum Hall ferromagnetism in two-dimensional electrons confined to AlAs quantum wells

We observe a strong dependence of the amplitude and field position of longitudinal resistivity (ρ_xx) peaks in the spin-resolved integer quantum Hall regime on the spin orientation of the Landau level (LL) in which the Fermi energy resides. The amplitude of a given peak is maximal when the partially filled LL has the same spin as the lowest LL, and amplitude changes as large as an order of magnitude are observed as the sample is tilted in field. In addition, the field position of both the ρ_xx peaks and plateau–plateau transitions in the Hall resistance shift depending on the spin orientation of the LLs. The spin dependence of the resistivity points to a new explanation for resistivity spikes, associated with first-order quantum Hall ferromagnetic transitions, that occur at the edges of quantum Hall states.     

Current breakdown of the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects detected by torque magnetometry

We have developed a novel technique that enables measurements of the breakdown of both the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects in a two-dimensional electron system without the need to contact the sample. The critical Hall electric fields that we measure are significantly higher than those reported by other workers, and support the quasi-elastic inter-Landau-level tunnelling model of breakdown. Comparison of the fractional quantum Hall effect results with those obtained on the integer quantum Hall effect allows the fractional quantum Hall effect energy gap to be determined and provides a test of the composite-fermion theory. The temperature dependence of the critical current gives an insight into the mechanism by which momentum may be conserved during the breakdown process.     

Quantum Hall skyrmions with higher topological charge

We have investigated quantum Hall skyrmions with more than one unit of topological, and hence electric, charge. Using a combination of analytic and numerical methods we find the counterintuitive result that when the Zeeman energy is tuned to values much smaller than the interaction energy ( ), the creation energy of a charge two skyrmion becomes less than twice the creation energy of a charge one skyrmion, i.e. skyrmions bind in pairs. The doubly charged skyrmions are stable to further accretion of charge and exhibit a larger spin per unit charge than charge one skyrmions which would, in principle, signal this pairing. 1997 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.     

Skyrme liquid versus Skyrme solid

Based on generic sum rules for two-dimensional, isotropic electron quantum liquids in the lowest Landau level, we propose analytic pair distribution functions for spin-polarized and spin-unpolarized liquid phases at filling factors . From the pair distribution functions we calculate the energy of such liquid phases and compare with the energy of the solid phase. The comparison suggests that the quantum melting phase transition to the Skyrme solid may lie much closer to ν=1 than ever expected.