arXiv subjects

L. N. Pfeiffer

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

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

Coherence of a non-equilibrium polariton condensate across the interaction-mediated phase transition

The emergence of spatial coherence in a confined two-dimensional Bose gas of exciton-polaritons with tuneable interactions offers a unique opportunity to explore the role of interactions in a phase transition in a driven-dissipative quantum system, where both the phase transition and thermalisation are mediated by interactions. We investigate, experimentally and numerically, the phase correlations and steady-state properties of the gas over a wide range of interaction strengths by varying the photonic/excitonic fraction of the polaritons and their density. We find that the first order spatial coherence function exhibits algebraic decay consistent with the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) phase transition. Surprisingly, the exponent of the algebraic decay is inversely proportional to the coherent density of polaritons, in analogy to equilibrium superfluids above the BKT transition, but with a different proportionality constant. Our work paves the way for future investigations of the phenomenon of phase transitions and superfluidity in a driven-dissipative setting

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2024

Excitonic Bose-polarons in electron-hole bilayers

Bose polarons are mobile impurities dressed by density fluctuations of a surrounding degenerate Bose gas. These many-body objects have been realized in ultracold atomic gasses and become a subject of intensive studies. In this work, we show that excitons in electron-hole bilayers offer new opportunities for exploring polarons in strongly interacting, highly tunable bosonic systems. We found that Bose polarons are formed by spatially direct excitons immersed in degenerate Bose gases of spatially indirect excitons (IXs). We detected both attractive and repulsive Bose polarons by measuring photoluminescence excitation spectra. We controlled the density of IX Bose gas by optical excitation and observed an enhancement of the energy splitting between attractive and repulsive Bose polarons with increasing IX density, in agreement with our theoretical calculations.

cond-mat.quant-gas↗

arXiv2024

Two-dimensional hydrodynamic viscous electron flow in annular Corbino rings

The concept of fluidic viscosity is ubiquitous in our everyday life and for it to arise the fluidic medium must necessarily form a continuum where macroscopic properties can emerge. While a powerful concept for tangible liquids, hydrodynamic manifestation of collective flow in electronic systems such as two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) has only been shown recently to occur in graphene and GaAs/AlGaAs. Here, we present nonlocal electronic transport measurements in concentric annular rings formed in high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs 2DEGs and the resulting data strongly suggest that viscous hydrodynamic flow can occur far away from the source-drain current region. Our conclusion of viscous electronic transport is further corroborated by simulations of the Navier-Stokes equations that are found to be in agreement with our measurements below 1K temperature. Most importantly, our work emphasizes the key role played by viscosity via electron-electron (e-e) interaction when hydrodynamic transport is restricted radially, and for which a priori should not have played a major role.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Origin of pinning disorder in magnetic-field-induced Wigner solids

At low Landau level filling factors ($ν$), Wigner solid phases of two-dimensional electron systems in GaAs are pinned by disorder, and exhibit a pinning mode, whose frequency is a measure of the disorder that pins the Wigner solid. Despite numerous studies spanning the last three decades, the origin of the disorder that causes the pinning and determines the pinning mode frequency remains unknown. Here we present a study of the pinning mode resonance in the low-$ν$ Wigner solid phases of a series of ultralow-disorder GaAs quantum wells which are similar except for their varying well widths, $d$. The pinning mode frequencies,$f_p$, decrease strongly as $d$ increases, with the widest well exhibiting $f_p$ as low as $\simeq$35 MHz. The amount of reduction of \fp\ with increasing $d$ can be explained remarkably well by tails of the wave function impinging into the alloy-disordered Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As barriers that contain the electrons. However, it is imperative that the model for the confinement and wave function includes the Coulomb repulsion in the growth direction between the electrons as they occupy the quantum well.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Aharonov-Borm oscillation and Microwave-induced edge-magnetoplasmon modes enhanced by quantum point contact

AB oscillation in weak magnetic field (B<1.5kG) is observed in QPC due to interference between electrons propagating along different QPC channels. We also investigate photo-induced magnetoresistance oscillation in open-regime split-gate QPC under MW irradiation. It is attributed to EMPs interfering in the QPC region. The influence of MW power, frequency and split gate voltage is discussed thoroughly. We unify the result of photoconductance at B=0 with EMP theories.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Signatures of correlated defects in an ultra-clean Wigner crystal in the extreme quantum limit

Low-disorder two-dimensional electron systems in the presence of a strong, perpendicular magnetic field terminate at very small Landau level filling factors in a Wigner crystal (WC), where the electrons form an ordered array to minimize the Coulomb repulsion. The nature of this exotic, many-body, quantum phase is yet to be fully understood and experimentally revealed. Here we probe one of WC's most fundamental parameters, namely the energy gap that determines its low-temperature conductivity, in record-mobility, ultra-high-purity, two-dimensional electrons confined to GaAs quantum wells. The WC domains in these samples contain $\simeq$ 1000 electrons. The measured gaps are a factor of three larger than previously reported for lower quality samples, and agree remarkably well with values predicted for the lowest-energy, intrinsic, hyper-corelated bubble defects in a WC made of flux-electron composite fermions, rather than bare electrons. The agreement is particularly noteworthy, given that the calculations are done for disorder-free composite fermion WCs, and there are no adjustable parameters. The results reflect the exceptionally high quality of the samples, and suggest that composite fermion WCs are indeed more stable compared to their electron counterparts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Pseudospin Polarization of Composite Fermions under Uniaxial Strain

A two dimensional system with extra degrees of freedom, such as spin and valley, is of great interest in the study of quantum phase transitions. The critical condition when a transition between different multicomponent fractional quantum Hall states appears is one of the very few junctions for many body problems between theoretical calculations and experiments. In this work, we present that uniaxial strain induces pseudospin transitions of composite fermions in a two-dimensional hole gas. Determined from transport behavior, strain along <111> effectively changes pseudospin energy levels. We deduce that diagonal strain dominates these variations. Our experiment provides a wedge for manipulating two dimensional interacting systems mechanically.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Topological protection revealed by real-time longitudinal and transverse studies

Topology provides an essential concept for achieving unchanged (or protected) quantum properties in the presence of perturbations. A challenge facing realistic applications is that the level of protection displayed in real systems is subject to substantial variations. Some key differences stem from mechanisms influencing the reconstruction behaviors of extended dissipationless modes. Despite various insightful results on potential causes of backscattering, the edge-state-based approach is limited because the bulk states, as shown by breakdown tests, contribute indispensably. This study investigates the influence of bulk reconstruction where dissipationless modes are global objects instead of being restricted to the sample edge. An integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE) hosted in a Corbino sample geometry is adopted and brought continuously to the verge of a breakdown. A detection technique is developed to include two independent setups capable of simultaneously capturing the onset of dissipation in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The real-time correspondence between orthogonal results confirms two facts. 1. Dissipationless charge modes undergo frequent reconstruction in response to electrochemical potential changes, causing dissipationless current paths to expand transversely into the bulk while preserving chirality. A breakdown only occurs when a backscattering emerges between reconfigured dissipationless current paths bridging opposite edge contacts. 2. Impurity screening is vital in enhancing protection, and topological protection is subject to an intriguing interplay of disorder, electron-electron interaction, and topology. The proposed reconstruction mechanism qualitatively explains the robustness variations, beneficial for developing means for optimization.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Superballistic flow of viscous electron fluid induced by microwave irradiation in quantum point contact

We measure the resistance oscillation of quantum point contact (QPC) under microwave (MW) radiation. What is different from the common resistance oscillation induced by edge magnetoplasmon (EMP) is that at lower magnetic field (ω>ω_c), photoconductance is positive (negative) with weak (strong) MW radiation. This transport phenomenon is proved to be related to superballistic flow of electrons through QPC. The distinction between the regions ω>ω_c and ω<ω_c is attributed to different absorption rate of MW radiation. Violent absorption occurs when cyclotron orbits or current domains are destroyed in QPC region.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Evidence for Topological Protection Derived from Six-Flux Composite Fermions

The composite fermion theory opened a new chapter in understanding many-body correlations through the formation of emergent particles. The formation of two-flux and four-flux composite fermions is well established. While there are limited data linked to the formation of six-flux composite fermions, topological protection associated with them is conspicuously lacking. Here we report evidence for the formation of a quantized and gapped fractional quantum Hall state at the filling factor $ν=9/11$, which we associate with the formation of six-flux composite fermions. Our result provides evidence for the most intricate composite fermion with six fluxes and expands the already diverse family of highly correlated topological phases with a new member that cannot be characterized by correlations present in other known members. Our observations pave the way towards the study of higher order correlations in the fractional quantum Hall regime.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2024

Moving crystal phases of a quantum Wigner solid in an ultra-high-quality 2D electron system

In low-disorder, two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs), the fractional quantum Hall states at very small Landau level fillings ($ν$) terminate in a Wigner solid (WS) phase, where electrons arrange themselves in a periodic array. The WS is typically pinned by the residual disorder sites and manifests an insulating behavior, with non-linear current-voltage (\textit{I-V}) and noise characteristics. We report here, measurements on an ultra-low-disorder, dilute 2DES, confined to a GaAs quantum well. In the $ν< 1/5$ range, superimposed on a highly-insulating longitudinal resistance, the 2DES exhibits a developing fractional quantum Hall state at $ν=1/7$, attesting to its exceptional high quality, and dominance of electron-electron interaction in the low filling regime. In the nearby insulating phases, we observe remarkable non-linear \textit{I-V} and noise characteristics as a function of increasing current, with current thresholds delineating three distinct phases of the WS: a pinned phase (P1) with very small noise, a second phase (P2) in which $dV/dI$ fluctuates between positive and negative values and is accompanied by very high noise, and a third phase (P3) where $dV/dI$ is nearly constant and small, and noise is about an order of magnitude lower than in P2. In the depinned (P2 and P3) phases, the noise spectrum also reveals well-defined peaks at frequencies that vary linearly with the applied current, suggestive of washboard frequencies. We discuss the data in light of a recent theory that proposes different dynamic phases for a driven WS.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Large composite fermion effective mass at filling factor 5/2

The 5/2 fractional quantum Hall effect in the second Landau level of extremely clean two-dimensional electron gases has attracted much attention due to its topological order predicted to host quasiparticles that obey non-Abelian quantum statistics and could serve as a basis for fault-tolerant quantum computations. While previous works have establish the Fermi liquid (FL) nature of its putative composite fermion (CF) normal phase, little is known regarding its thermodynamics properties and as a result its effective mass is entirely unknown. Here, we report on time-resolved specific heat measurements at filling factor 5/2, and we examine the ratio of specific heat to temperature as a function of temperature. Combining these specific heat data with existing longitudinal thermopower data measuring the entropy in the clean limit we find that, unless a phase transition/crossover gives rise to large specific heat anomaly, both datasets point towards a large effective mass in the FL phase of CFs at 5/2. We estimate the effective-to-bare mass ratio m*/me to be ranging from ~2 to 4, which is two to three times larger than previously measured values in the first Landau level.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Ultraclean two-dimensional hole systems with mobilities exceeding 10$^7$ cm$^2$/Vs

Owing to their large effective mass, strong and tunable spin-orbit coupling, and complex band-structure, two-dimensional hole systems (2DHSs) in GaAs quantum wells provide rich platforms to probe exotic many-body physics, while also offering potential applications in ballistic and spintronics devices, and fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. We present here a systematic study of molecular-beam-epitaxy grown, modulation-doped, GaAs (001) 2DHSs where we explore the limits of low-temperature 2DHS mobility by optimizing two parameters, the GaAs quantum well width and the alloy fraction ($x$) of the flanking Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As barriers. We obtain a breakthrough in 2DHS mobility, with a peak value $\simeq 18 \times 10^6$ cm$^2$/Vs at a density of 3.8 $\times$ 10$^{10}$ /cm$^{2}$, implying a mean-free-path of $\simeq 57 μ$m. Using transport calculations tailored to our structures, we analyze the operating scattering mechanisms to explain the non-monotonic evolution of mobility with density. We find it imperative to include the dependence of effective mass on 2DHS density, well width, and $x$. We observe concomitant improvement in quality as evinced by the appearance of delicate fractional quantum Hall states at very low density.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Fractional Quantum Hall State at Filling Factor $ν=1/4$ in Ultra-High-Quality GaAs 2D Hole Systems

Single-component fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) at even-denominator filling factors may host non-Abelian quasiparticles that are considered to be building blocks of topological quantum computers. Such states, however, are rarely observed in the lowest-energy Landau level, namely at filling factors $ν<1$. Here we report evidence for an even-denominator FQHS at $ν=1/4$ in ultra-high-quality two-dimensional hole systems confined to modulation-doped GaAs quantum wells. We observe a deep minimum in the longitudinal resistance at $ν=1/4$, superimposed on a highly insulating background, suggesting a close competition between the $ν=1/4$ FQHS and the magnetic-field-induced, pinned Wigner solid states. Our experimental observations are consistent with the very recent theoretical calculations which predict that substantial Landau level mixing, caused by the large hole effective mass, can induce composite fermion pairing and lead to a non-Abelian FQHS at $ν=1/4$. Our results demonstrate that Landau level mixing can provide a very potent means for tuning the interaction between composite fermions and creating new non-Abelian FQHSs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Highly-Anisotropic Even-Denominator Fractional Quantum Hall State in an Orbitally-Coupled Half-Filled Landau Level

The even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) in half-filled Landau levels are generally believed to host non-Abelian quasiparticles and be of potential use in topological quantum computing. Of particular interest is the competition and interplay between the even-denominator FQHSs and other ground states, such as anisotropic phases and composite fermion Fermi seas. Here we report the observation of an even-denominator fractional quantum Hall state with highly-anisotropic in-plane transport coefficients at Landau level filling factor $ν=3/2$. We observe this state in an ultra-high-quality GaAs two-dimensional hole system when a large in-plane magnetic field is applied. By increasing the in-plane field, we observe a sharp transition from an isotropic composite fermion Fermi sea to an anisotropic even-denominator FQHS. Our data and calculations suggest that a unique feature of two-dimensional holes, namely the coupling between heavy-hole and light-hole states, combines different orbital components in the wavefunction of one Landau level, and leads to the emergence of a highly-anisotropic even-denominator fractional quantum Hall state. Our results demonstrate that the GaAs two-dimensional hole system is a unique platform for the exploration of exotic, many-body ground states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Topological phase transition between composite-fermion and Pfaffian daughter states near ν = 1/2 FQHS

$ν$=1/2 is among the most enigmatic many-body phases in two-dimensional electron systems as it appears in the ground-state rather than an excited Landau level. It is observed in wide quantum wells where the electrons have a bilayer charge distribution with finite tunneling. Whether this 1/2 FQHS is two-component (Abelian) or one-component (non-Abelian) has been debated since its experimental discovery over 30 years ago. Here, we report strong 1/2 FQHSs in ultrahigh-quality, wide, GaAs quantum wells, with transport energy gaps up to $\simeq$4K, among the largest gaps reported for any even-denominator FQHS. The 1/2 FQHS is flanked by numerous, Jain-sequence FQHSs at $ν$=$p$/(2$p$$\pm$1) up to $ν$=8/17 and 9/17. Remarkably, as we raise the density and strengthen the 1/2 FQHS, the 8/17 and 7/13 FQHSs suddenly become strong, much stronger than their neighboring high-order FQHSs. Insofar as FQHSs at $ν$=8/17 and 7/13 are precisely the theoretically-predicted, simplest, daughter states of the one-component Pfaffian 1/2 FQHS, our data suggest a topological phase-transition of 8/17 and 7/13 FQHSs from the Jain-states to the daughter states of the Pfaffian, and that the parent 1/2 FQHS we observe is the Pfaffian state.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Anomalous Electronic Transport in High Mobility Corbino Rings

We report low-temperature electronic transport measurements performed in two multi-terminal Corbino samples formed in GaAs/Al-GaAs two-dimensional electron gases (2DEG) with both ultra-high electron mobility ($\gtrsim 20\times 10^6$ $cm^2/Vs)$ and with distinct electron density of $1.7$ and $3.6\times 10^{11}~cm^{-2}$. In both Corbino samples, a non-monotonic behavior is observed in the temperature dependence of the resistance below 1~$K$. Surprisingly, a sharp {\it decrease} in resistance is observed with {\it increasing} temperature in the sample with lower electron density, whereas an opposite behavior is observed in the sample with higher density. To investigate further, transport measurements were performed in large van der Pauw samples having identical heterostructures, and as expected they exhibit resistivity that is monotonic with temperature. Finally, we discuss the results in terms of various lengthscales leading to ballistic and hydrodynamic electronic transport, as well as a possible Gurzhi effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Delocalization and Universality of the Fractional Quantum Hall Plateau-to-Plateau Transitions

Disorder and electron-electron interaction play essential roles in the physics of electron systems in condensed matter. In two-dimensional, quantum Hall systems, extensive studies of disorder-induced localization have led to the emergence of a scaling picture with a single extended state, characterized by a power-law divergence of the localization length in the zero-temperature limit. Experimentally, scaling has been investigated via measuring the temperature dependence of plateau-to-plateau transitions between the integer quantum Hall states (IQHSs), yielding a critical exponent $κ\simeq 0.42$. Here we report scaling measurements in the fractional quantum Hall state (FQHS) regime where interaction plays a dominant role. Our study is partly motivated by recent calculations, based on the composite fermion theory, that suggest identical critical exponents in both IQHS and FQHS cases to the extent that the interaction between composite fermions is negligible. The samples used in our experiments are two-dimensional electron systems confined to GaAs quantum wells of exceptionally high quality. We find that $κ$ varies for transitions between different FQHSs observed on the flanks of Landau level filling factor $ν=1/2$, and has a value close to that reported for the IQHS transitions only for a limited number of transitions between high-order FQHSs with intermediate strength. We discuss possible origins of the non-universal $κ$ observed in our experiments.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗