arXiv subjects

L. N. Pfeiffer

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

At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Transition from a fractional quantum Hall liquid to an electron solid at Landau level filling nu = 1/3 in tilted magnetic fields

We have observed in a low density two-dimensional hole system (2DHS) of extremely high quality (with hole density p=1.6x10^{10} cm^{-2} and mobility μ=0.8x10^6 cm^2/Vs) that, as the 2DHS is continuously tilted with respect to the direction of the magnetic field, the ν=1/3 fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) state is weakened and its magnetoresistivity rises from ~ 0.4 kohm/square in the normal orientation to ~ 180 kohm/square at tilt angle θ\~ 80 degrees. We attribute this phenomenon to the transition of the 2DHS from the FQHE liquid state to the pinned Wigner solid state, and argue that its origin is the strong coupling of subband Landau levels under the tilted magnetic fields.

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arXiv2004

Magnetic Field Induced Insulating Phases at Large $r_s$

Exploring a backgated low density two-dimensional hole sample in the large $r_s$ regime we found a surprisingly rich phase diagram. At the highest densities, beside the $ν=1/3$, 2/3, and 2/5 fractional quantum Hall states, we observe both of the previously reported high field insulating and reentrant insulating phases. As the density is lowered, the reentrant insulating phase initially strengthens, then it unexpectedly starts weakening until it completely dissapears. At the lowest densities the terminal quantum Hall state moves from $ν=1/3$ to $ν=1$. The intricate behavior of the insulating phases can be explained by a non-monotonic melting line in the $ν$-$r_s$ phase space.

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arXiv2004

AC Magnetotransport in Reentrant Insulating Phases of Two-dimensional Electrons near 1/5 and 1/3 Landau fillings

We have measured high frequency magnetotransport of a high quality two-dimensional electron system (2DES) near the reentrant insulating phase (RIP) at Landau fillings ($ν$) between 1/5 and 2/9. The magneto\textit{conductivity} in the RIP has resonant behavior around 150 MHz, showing a \textit{peak} at $ν$$\sim$0.21. Our data support the interpretation of the RIP as due to some pinned electron solid. We have also investigated a narrowly confined 2DES recently found to have a RIP at 1/3$<$$ν$$<$1/2 and we have revealed features, not seen in DC transport, that suggest some intriguing interplay between the 1/3 FQHE and RIP.

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arXiv2004

Evidence for Two Different Solid Phases of Two Dimensional Electrons in High Magnetic Fields

We have performed RF spectroscopy on very high quality two dimensional electron systems in the high magnetic field insulating phase, usually associated with a Wigner solid (WS) pinned by disorder. We have found two different resonances in the frequency dependent real diagonal conductivity spectrum and we interpret them as coming from \textit{two} different pinned solid phases (labeled as "WS-A" and "WS-B"). The resonance of WS-A is observable for Landau level filling $ν$$<$2/9 (but absent around the $ν$=1/5 fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE)); it then \textit{crosses over} for $ν$$<$0.18 to the different WS-B resonance which dominates the spectrum at $ν$$<$0.125. Moreover, WS-A resonance is found to show dispersion with respect to the size of transmission line, indicating that WS-A has a large correlation length (exceeding $\sim$100 $μ$m); in contrast no such behavior is found for WS-B. We suggest that quantum correlations such as those responsible for FQHE may play an important role in giving rise to such different solids.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2004

Electron correlation in the second Landau level; a competition between many, nearly degenerate quantum phases

At a very low temperature of 9mK, electrons in the 2nd Landau level of an extremely high mobility two-dimensional electron system exhibit a very complex electronic behavior. With varying filling factor, quantum liquids of different origins compete with several insulating phases leading to an irregular pattern in the transport parameters. We observe a fully developed $ν=2+2/5$ state separated from the even-denominator $ν=2+1/2$ state by an insulating phase and a $ν=2+2/7$ and $ν=2+1/5$ state surrounded by such phases. A developing plateau at $ν=2+3/8$ points to the existence of other even-denominator states.

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arXiv2004

2D Metal-Insulator transition as a percolation transition

By carefully analyzing the low temperature density dependence of 2D conductivity in undoped high mobility n-GaAs heterostructures, we conclude that the 2D metal-insulator transition in this system is a density inhomogeneity driven percolation transition due to the breakdown of screening in the random charged impurity disorder background. In particular, our measured conductivity exponent of $\sim 1.4$ approaches the 2D percolation exponent value of 4/3 at low temperatures and our experimental data are inconsistent with there being a zero-temperature quantum critical point in our system.

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arXiv2004

Onset of Interlayer Phase Coherence in a Bilayer Two-Dimensional Electron System: Effect of Layer Density Imbalance

Tunneling and Coulomb drag are sensitive probes of spontaneous interlayer phase coherence in bilayer two-dimensional electron systems at total Landau level filling factor $ν_T = 1$. We find that the phase boundary between the interlayer phase coherent state and the weakly-coupled compressible phase moves to larger layer separations as the electron density distribution in the bilayer is imbalanced. The critical layer separation increases quadratically with layer density difference.

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arXiv2004

Interaction Correction to the Longitudinal Conductivity and Hall Resistivity in High Quality Two-Dimensional GaAs Electron and Hole Systems

We present a systematic study of the corrections to both the longitudinal conductivity and Hall resistivity due to electron-electron interactions in high quality GaAs systems using the recent theory of Zala et al. [Phys. Rev. B 64, 214204 (2001)]. We demonstrate that the interaction corrections to the longitudinal conductivity and Hall resistivity predicted by the theory are consistent with each other. This suggests that the anomalous metallic drop in resistivity at B=0 is due to interaction effects and supports the theory of Zala et al.

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arXiv2004

Possible observation of phase coexistence of the $ν=1/3$ fractional quantum Hall liquid and a solid

We have measured the magnetoresistance of a very low density and an extremely high quality two-dimensional hole system. With increasing magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the sample we observe the sequence of insulating, $ν=1/3$ fractional quantum Hall liquid, and insulating phases. In both of the insulating phases in the vicinity of the $ν=1/3$ filling the magnetoresistance has an unexpected oscillatory behavior with the magnetic field. These oscillations are not of the Shubnikov-de Haas type and cannot be explained by spin effects. They are most likely the consequence of the formation of a new electronic phase which is intermediate between the correlated Hall liquid and a disorder pinned solid.

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arXiv2004

Cascade of Quantum Phase Transitions in Tunnel-Coupled Edge States

We report on the cascade of quantum phase transitions exhibited by tunnel-coupled edge states across a quantum Hall line junction. We identify a series of quantum critical points between successive strong and weak tunneling regimes in the zero-bias conductance. Scaling analysis shows that the conductance near the critical magnetic fields $B_{c}$ is a function of a single scaling argument $|B-B_{c}|T^{-κ}$, where the exponent $κ= 0.42$. This puzzling resemblance to a quantum Hall-insulator transition points to importance of interedge correlation between the coupled edge states.

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arXiv2004

Vanishing Hall Resistance at High Magnetic Field in a Double Layer Two-Dimensional Electron System

At total Landau level filling factor $ν_{tot}=1$ a double layer two-dimensional electron system with small interlayer separation supports a collective state possessing spontaneous interlayer phase coherence. This state exhibits the quantized Hall effect when equal electrical currents flow in parallel through the two layers. In contrast, if the currents in the two layers are equal, but oppositely directed, both the longitudinal and Hall resistances of each layer vanish in the low temperature limit. This finding supports the prediction that the ground state at $ν_{tot}=1$ is an excitonic superfluid.

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arXiv2004

Evidence of a first order phase transition between Wigner crystal and Bubble Phases of 2D electrons in higher Landau levels

For filling factors $ν$ in the range between 4.16 and 4.28, we simultaneously detect {\it two} resonances in the real diagonal microwave conductivity of a two--dimensional electron system (2DES) at low temperature $T \approx 35$ mK. We attribute the resonances to Wigner crystal and Bubble phases of the 2DES in higher Landau Levels. For $ν$ below and above this range, only single resonances are observed. The coexistence of both phases is taken as evidence of a first order phase transition. We estimate the transition point as $ν=4.22$.

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arXiv2003

Metastable Resistance Anisotropy Orientation of Two-Dimensional Electrons in High Landau Levels

In half-filled high Landau levels, two-dimensional electron systems possess collective phases which exhibit a strongly anisotropic resistivity tensor. A weak, but as yet unknown, rotational symmetry-breaking potential native to the host semiconductor structure is necessary to orient these phases in macroscopic samples. Making use of the known external symmetry-breaking effect of an in-plane magnetic field, we find that the native potential can have two orthogonal local minima. It is possible to initialize the system in the higher minimum and then observe its relaxation toward equilibrium.

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arXiv2003

Ultrafast Dynamic Control of Spin and Charge Density Oscillations in a GaAs Quantum Well

We use subpicosecond laser pulses to generate and monitor in real time collective oscillations of electrons in a modulation-doped GaAs quantum well. The observed frequencies match those of intersubband spin- and charge-density excitations. Light couples to coherent density fluctuations through resonant stimulated Raman scattering. Because the spin- and charge-related modes obey different selection rules and resonant behavior, the amplitudes of the corresponding oscillations can be independently controlled by using shaped pulses of the proper polarization.

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arXiv2003

Light Scattering by Low Lying Quasiparticle Excitations in the Fractional Quantum Hall Regime

Low lying excitations of electron liquids in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) regime are studied by resonant inelastic light scattering methods. We present here results from charge and spin excitations of FQH states in the lowest spin-split Landau levels that are of current interest. In the range of filling factors $2/5 \geq ν\geq 1/3$, we find evidence that low energy quasiparticle excitations can be interpreted with spin-split composite fermion quasi-Landau levels. At FQH states around $ν=3/2$, we find well-defined excitations at 4/3 and 8/5 that are consistent with a spin-unpolarized population of quasi-Landau levels.

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arXiv2003

Evidence for current flow anomalies in the irradiated 2D electron system at small magnetic fields

We report experimental results of low temperature magnetotransport in high mobility 2D electron systems exposed to radiation up to 20GHz frequency using a simple dipole configuration. Magnetoresistance oscillations are observed as in previously reported higher frequency radiation on 2D systems, however minima here can be seen to extend to negative biases, and zeroes previously reported are not observed persistently around the full sample perimeters. In addition, under radiation, voltages are observed from internal to external contacts in the absence of applied driving currents not due to simple rectification. These findings are consistent with micro- and macroscopic theoretical pictures of radiation induced transport and current instabilities due to local negative resistivities. However, the temperature dependent development of minima is shown to be severely power dependent, and outside of present theoretical understanding.

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arXiv2003

Fermi liquid behavior of metallic 2D holes at high temperatures

The resistivity $ρ$ of high mobility dilute 2D holes in GaAs exhibits a peak at a certain temperature $T^*$ in zero magnetic field($B$=0). In the $T>T^*$ regime where d$ρ$/d$T<$0, we observe for the first time both the $ν=1$ quantum Hall(QH) effect and a low field insulator-QH transition which is consistent with the 2D hole system being a Fermi liquid(FL). The known linear $T$-dependent conductivity in this $T$ regime then can be explained by hole-hole Coulomb interactions of this FL. The fact that the system is metallic (d$ρ$/d$T>$0) for $T<T^*$ implies that the high temperature FL transforms into the 2D metallic state in the neighborhood of $T^*$.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2003

Resonant Enhancement of Inelastic Light Scattering in the Fractional Quantum Hall Regime at $ν=1/3$

Strong resonant enhancements of inelastic light scattering from the long wavelength inter-Landau level magnetoplasmon and the intra-Landau level spin wave excitations are seen for the fractional quantum Hall state at $ν= 1/3$. The energies of the sharp peaks (FWHM $\lesssim 0.2meV$) in the profiles of resonant enhancement of inelastic light scattering intensities coincide with the energies of photoluminescence bands assigned to negatively charged exciton recombination. To interpret the observed enhancement profiles, we propose three-step light scattering mechanisms in which the intermediate resonant transitions are to states with charged excitonic excitations.

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