arXiv subjects

L. N. Pfeiffer

Publications and source records attributed to L. N. Pfeiffer.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

Fermi Contour Disintegration of Quasi-2D Electrons in Parallel Magnetic Fields

In a quasi two-dimensional electron system with non-zero layer thickness, a parallel magnetic field (B||) can couple to the out-of-plane electron motion and lead to a severe distortion and eventual disintegration of the Fermi contour. Here we directly and quantitatively probe this evolution through commensurability and Shubnikov-de Haas measurements on electrons confined to a 40-nm-wide GaAs (001) quantum well. We are able to observe the Fermi contour disintegration phenomenon, in good agreement with the results of semi-classical calculations. Experimentally we also observe intriguing features, suggesting magnetic-breakdown-type behavior when the Fermi contour disintegrates.

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arXiv2015

Transport in two-dimensional modulation doped semiconductor structures

We develop a theory for the maximum achievable mobility in modulation-doped 2D GaAs-AlGaAs semiconductor structures by considering the momentum scattering of the 2D carriers by the remote ionized dopants which must invariably be present in order to create the 2D electron gas at the GaAs-AlGaAs interface. The minimal model, assuming first order Born scattering by random quenched remote dopant ions as the only scattering mechanism, gives a mobility much lower (by a factor of 3 or more) than that observed experimentally in many ultra high-mobility modulation-doped 2D systems, establishing convincingly that the model of uncorrelated scattering by independent random remote quenched dopant ions is often unable to describe the physical system quantitively. We theoretically establish that the consideration of spatial correlations in the remote dopant distribution can enhance the mobility by (up to) several orders of magnitudes in experimental samples. The precise calculation of the carrier mobility in ultra-pure modulation-doped 2D semiconductor structures thus depends crucially on the unknown spatial correlations among the dopant ions in the doping layer which may manifest sample to sample variations even for nominally identical sample parameters (i.e., density, well width, etc.), depending on the details of the modulation-doping growth conditions.

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arXiv2015

Composite Fermion Geometric Resonance Near ν = 1/2 Fractional Quantum Hall State

We observe geometric resonance features of composite fermions on the flanks of the even denominator ν = 1/2 fractional quantum Hall state in high-mobility two-dimensional electron and hole systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells and subjected to a weak, strain-induced, unidirectional periodic potential modulation. The features provide a measure of how close to ν = 1/2 the system stays single-component and supports a composite fermion Fermi sea before transitioning into a ν = 1/2 fractional quantum Hall state, presumably the two-component Ψ331 state.

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arXiv2015

Composite Fermions with a Warped Fermi Contour

Via measurements of commensurability features near Landau filling factor $ν=1/2$, we probe the shape of the Fermi contour for hole-flux composite fermions confined to a wide GaAs quantum well. The data reveal that the composite fermions are strongly influenced by the characteristics of the Landau level in which they are formed. In particular, their Fermi contour is $\textit{warped}$ when their Landau level originates from a hole band with significant warping.

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arXiv2015

Impact of the modulation doping layer on the ν=5/2 anisotropy

We have carried out a systematic study of the tilted magnetic field induced anisotropy at the Landau level filling factor ν=5/2 in a series of high quality GaAs quantum wells, where the setback distance (d) between the modulation doping layer and the GaAs quantum well is varied from 33 to 164 nm. We have observed that in the sample of the smallest d electronic transport is anisotropic when the in-plane magnetic field (B_{ip}) is parallel to the [1-10] crystallographic direction, but remains more or less isotropic when B_{ip} // [110]. In contrast, in the sample of largest d, electronic transport is anisotropic in both crystallographic directions. Our results clearly show that the modulation doping layer plays an important role in the tilted field induced ν=5/2 anisotropy.

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arXiv2015

Mechanical Flip-Chip for Ultra-High Electron Mobility Devices

Electrostatic gates are of paramount importance for the physics of devices based on high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) since they allow depletion of electrons in selected areas. This field-effect gating enables the fabrication of a wide range of devices such as, for example, quantum point contacts (QPC), electron interferometers and quantum dots. To fabricate these gates, processing is usually performed on the 2DEG material, which is in many cases detrimental to its electron mobility. Here we propose an alternative process which does not require any processing of the 2DEG material other than for the ohmic contacts. This approach relies on processing a separate wafer that is then mechanically mounted on the 2DEG material in a flip-chip fashion. This technique proved successful to fabricate quantum point contacts on both GaAs/AlGaAs materials with both moderate and ultra-high electron mobility.

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arXiv2015

Fractional Quantum Hall Effect at Landau Level Filling nu=4/11

We report low temperature electronic transport results on the fractional quantum Hall effect of composite fermions at Landau level filling nu = 4/11 in a very high mobility and low density sample. Measurements were carried out at temperatures down to 15mK, where an activated magnetoresistance Rxx and a quantized Hall resistance Rxy, within 1% of the expected value of h/(4/11)e^2, were observed. The temperature dependence of the Rxx minimum at 4/11 yields an activation energy gap of ~ 7 mK. Developing Hall plateaus were also observed at the neighboring states at nu = 3/8 and 5/13.

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arXiv2014

De-Pinning Transition of Bubble Phases in a High Landau Level

While in the lowest Landau level the electron-electron interaction leads to the formation of the Wigner crystal, in higher Landau levels a solid phase with multiple electrons in a lattice site of crystal was predicted, which was called the bubble phase. Reentrant integer quantum Hall states are believed to be the insulating bubble phase pinned by disorder. We carry out nonlinear transport measurements on the reentrant states and study the de-pinning of the bubble phase, which is complementary to previous microwave measurements and provides unique information. In this study, conductivity is directly measured with Corbino geometry. Based on the threshold electric field of de-pinning, a phase diagram of the reentrant state is mapped. We discuss an interaction-driven topological phase transition between the integer quantum Hall state and the reentrant integer quantum Hall state.

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arXiv2014

Observation of Incompressibility at $ν=4/11$ and $ν=5/13$

The region of filling factors $1/3<ν<2/5$ is predicted to support new types of fractional quantum Hall states with topological order different from that of the Laughlin-Jain or the Moore-Read states. Incompressibility is a necessary condition for the formation of such novel topological states. We find that at 6.9~mK incompressibility develops only at $ν=4/11$ and $5/13$, while the states at $ν=6/17$ and $3/8$ remain compressible. Our observations at $ν=4/11$ and $5/13$ are first steps towards understanding emergent topological order in these fractional quantum Hall states.

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arXiv2014

Microwave pinning modes near Landau filling $ν=1$ in two-dimensional electron systems with alloy disorder

We report measurements of microwave spectra of two-dimensional electron systems hosted in dilute Al alloy, Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As, for a range of Landau level fillings, $ν$, around 1. For $ν>0.8$ or $ν<1.2$, the samples exhibit a microwave resonance whose frequency decreases as $ν$ moves away from 1. A resonance with this behavior is the signature of solids of quasiparticles or -holes in the partially occupied Landau level, which was previously seen in ultralow disorder samples. For $ν<0.8$ down to as low as $ν=0.54$, a resonance in the spectra is still present in the Al alloy-disordered samples, though it is partially or completely suppressed at $ν=3/5$ and $1/2$, and is strongly damped over much of this $ν$ range. The resonance also shows a striking enhancement in peak frequency for $ν$ just below 3/4. We discuss possible explanations of the resonance behavior for $ν<0.8$ in terms of the composite fermion picture.

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arXiv2014

Microwave spectroscopic studies of the bilayer electron solid states at low Landau filling in a wide quantum well

At the low Landau filling factor $(ν)$ termination of the fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) series, two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs) exhibit an insulating phase that is understood as a form of pinned Wigner solid. Here we use microwave spectroscopy to probe the transition to the insulator for a wide quantum well (WQW) sample that can support single-layer or bilayer states depending on its overall carrier density, $n$. We find the insulator exhibits a resonance, which is characteristic of a bilayer solid. The resonance also reveals a pair of transitions within the solid, which are not accessible to dc transport measurements. As $n$ is biased deeper into the bilayer solid regime, the resonance grows in specific intensity, and the transitions within the insulator disappear. These behaviors are suggestive of a picture of the insulating phase as an emulsion of liquid and solid components.

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arXiv2014

Determination of the Fermi Contour and Spin-polarization of $ν=3/2$ Composite Fermions via Ballistic Commensurability Measurements

We report ballistic transport commensurability minima in the magnetoresistance of $ν=3/2$ composite fermions (CFs). The CFs are formed in high-quality two-dimensional electron systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells and subjected to an in-plane, unidirectional periodic potential modulation. We observe a slight asymmetry of the CF commensurability positions with respect to $ν=3/2$, which we explain quantitatively by comparing three CF density models and concluding that the $ν=3/2$ CFs are likely formed by the minority carriers in the upper energy spin state of the lowest Landau level. Our data also allow us to probe the shape and size of the CF Fermi contour. At a fixed electron density of $\simeq 1.8 \times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$, as the quantum well width increases from 30 to 60 nm, the CFs show increasing spin-polarization. We attribute this to the enhancement of the Zeeman energy relative to the Coulomb energy in wider wells where the latter is softened because of the larger electron layer thickness. The application of an additional parallel magnetic field ($B_{||}$) leads to a significant distortion of the CF Fermi contour as $B_{||}$ couples to the CFs' out-of-plane orbital motion. The distortion is much more severe compared to the $ν=1/2$ CF case at comparable $B_{||}$. Moreover, the applied $B_{||}$ further spin-polarizes the $ν=3/2$ CFs as deduced from the positions of the commensurability minima.

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arXiv2014

Anomalous Gap Reversal of the $3+1/3$ and $3+1/5$ Fractional Quantum Hall States

In this work we report the opening of an energy gap at the filling factor $ν=3+1/3$, firmly establishing the ground state as a fractional quantum Hall state. This and other odd-denominator states unexpectedly break particle-hole symmetry. Specifically, we find that the relative magnitudes of the energy gaps of the $ν=3+1/3$ and $3+1/5$ states from the upper spin branch are reversed when compared to the $ν=2+1/3$ and $2+1/5$ counterpart states in the lower spin branch. Our findings raise the possibility that the former states have a non-conventional origin.

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arXiv2014

Nonlinear transport in 2D electron gas exhibiting colossal negative magnetoresistance

We report on nonlinear transport measurements in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well exhibiting a colossal negative magnetoresistance effect. Under applied dc bias, the magnetoresistance becomes nonmonotonic, exhibiting distinct extrema that move to higher magnetic fields with increasing current. In the range of magnetic fields corresponding to the resistivity minimum at zero bias, the resistivity increases linearly with current and the rate of this increase scales with the inverse magnetic field. The latter observation is consistent with the theory, proposed more than 35 years ago, considering classical memory effects in the presence of strong, dilute scatterers.

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arXiv2014

$ν=1/2$ Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Tilted Magnetic Fields

Magnetotransport measurements on two-dimensional electrons confined to wide GaAs quantum wells reveal a remarkable evolution of the ground state at filling factor $ν=1/2$ as we tilt the sample in the magnetic field. Starting with a compressible state at zero tilt angle, a strong $ν=1/2$ fractional quantum Hall state appears at intermediate angles. At higher angles an insulating phase surrounds this state and eventually engulfs it at the highest angles. This evolution occurs because the parallel component of the field renders the charge distribution increasingly bilayer-like.

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arXiv2014

Spin-Polarization of Composite Fermions and Particle-Hole Symmetry Breaking

We study the critical spin-polarization energy ($α_{\rm C}$) above which fractional quantum Hall states in two-dimensional electron systems confined to symmetric GaAs quantum wells become fully spin-polarized. We find a significant decrease of $α_{\rm C}$ as we increase the well-width. In systems with comparable electron layer thickness, $α_{\rm C}$ for fractional states near Landau level filling $ν=3/2$ is about twice larger than those near $ν=1/2$, suggesting a broken particle-hole symmetry. Theoretical calculations, which incorporate Landau level mixing through an effective three-body interaction, and finite layer thickness, capture certain qualitative features of the experimental results.

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arXiv2014

What Determines the Fermi Wave Vector of Composite Fermions?

Composite fermions (CFs), exotic particles formed by pairing an even number of flux quanta to each electron, provide a fascinating description of phenomena exhibited by interacting two-dimensional electrons at high magnetic fields. At and near Landau level filling $ν=1/2$, CFs occupy a Fermi sea and exhibit commensurability effects when subjected to a periodic potential modulation. We observe a pronounced asymmetry in the magnetic field positions of the commensurability resistance minima of CFs with respect to the field at $ν=1/2$. This unexpected asymmetry is quantitatively consistent with the CFs' Fermi wave vector being determined by the \textit{minority} carriers in the lowest Landau level. Our data indicate a breaking of the particle-hole symmetry for CFs near $ν=1/2$.

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arXiv2014

Competing quantum Hall phases in the second Landau level in low density limit

We present in this Letter the results from two high quality, low density GaAs quantum wells. In sample A of electron density n=5.0x10^10 cm^-2, anisotropic electronic transport behavior was observed at ν=7/2 in the second Landau level. We believe that the anisotropy is due to the large Landau level mixing effect in this sample. In sample B of density 4.1x10^10 cm^-2, strong 8/3, 5/2, and 7/3 fractional quantum Hall states were observed. Furthermore, our energy gap data suggest that, similar to the 8/3 state, the 5/2 state may also be spin unpolarized in the low density limit. The results from both samples show that the strong electron-electron interactions and a large Landau level mixing effect play an import role in the competing ground states in the second landau level.

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