Search

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 $\kappa\simeq 0.42$. 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 $\kappa$ varies for transitions between different FQHSs observed on the flanks of Landau level filling factor $\nu=1/2$, 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 $\kappa$ observed in our experiments.

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 $\nu=3/2$. 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., Comment: 7+13 pages, 4+6 figures

Persistent circulation is a canonical effect of superfluidity. In previous experiments, quantized circulation has been observed in polariton condensates, usually far from equilibrium, but persistent circulation without stirring has not. We report here the direct observation of persistent circulation of a polariton condensate with no driving force and with no observable change in time as long as we can measure. We can cause the condensate to circulate in either direction on demand using a short laser pulse; after this short pulse, the condensate continues to circulate for dozens to hundreds of rotations around a ring trap without any further stimulation. Our theoretical model successfully shows how the pulse causes the circulation.

We focused on the transverse AC magneto-conductance of a high mobility $p$-GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well ($p=1.2\times 10^{11}$~cm$^{-2}$) in the vicinity of two values of the Landau level filling factor $ν$: $ν=1$ (integer quantum Hall effect) and $ν=1/3$ (fractional quantum Hall effect). The complex transverse AC conductance, $σ_{xx}^{AC} (ω)$, was found from simultaneous measurements of attenuation and velocity of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagating along the interface between a piezoelectric crystal and the two-dimensional hole system under investigation. We analyzed both the real and imaginary parts of the hole conductance and compared the similarities and differences between the results for filling factor 1 and filling factor 1/3. Both to the left and to the right of these values maxima of a specific shape, "wings", arose in the $σ(ν)$ dependences at those two $ν$. Analysis of the results of our acoustic measurements at different temperatures and surface acoustic wave frequencies allowed us to attribute these wings to the formation of collective localized states, namely the domains of a pinned Wigner crystal, i.e., a Wigner solid. While the Wigner solid has been observed in 2D hole systems previously, we were able to detect 20 it at the highest hole density and, therefore, the lowest hole-hole interaction reported., 9 pages, 6 figures

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.

Fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) exemplify exotic phases of low-disorder two-dimensional (2D) electron systems when electron-electron interaction dominates over the thermal and kinetic energies. Particularly intriguing among the FQHSs are those observed at even-denominator Landau level filling factors, as their quasi-particles are generally believed to obey non-Abelian statistics and be of potential use in topological quantum computing. Such states, however, are very rare and fragile, and are typically observed in the excited Landau level of 2D electron systems with the lowest amount of disorder. Here we report the observation of a new and unexpected even-denominator FQHS at filling factor ν = 3/4 in a GaAs 2D hole system with an exceptionally high quality (mobility). Our magneto-transport measurements reveal a strong minimum in the longitudinal resistance at ν = 3/4, accompanied by a developing Hall plateau centered at (h/e2)/(3/4). This even-denominator FQHS is very unusual as it is observed in the lowest Landau level and in a 2D hole system. While its origin is unclear, it is likely a non-Abelian state, emerging from the residual interaction between composite fermions., 6+6 pages, 3+3 figures; featured in Physics; featured as Editor's suggestion

For several decades now, ultra-high-mobility GaAs two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs) have served as the hallmark platform for various branches of research in condensed matter physics. Fundamental to this long-standing history of success for GaAs 2DESs was continuous sample quality improvement, which enabled scattering-free transport over macroscopic length scales as well as the emergence of a diverse range of exotic many-body phenomena. While the recent breakthrough in the quality of GaAs 2DESs grown by molecular beam epitaxy is highly commendable in this context, it is also important and timely to establish an up-to-date understanding of what obstructs us from pushing the mobility limit even further. Here, we present mobility data taken at a temperature of 0.3 K for a wide variety of state-of-the-art GaAs 2DESs, exhibiting a maximum, world-record mobility of $\mu\simeq57\times10^6$ cm$^2$/Vs at a 2DES density of $n=1.55\times10^{11}$ /cm$^2$. We also provide comprehensive analyses of the collective scattering mechanisms that can explain the results. Furthermore, based on our study, we discuss potential scenarios where GaAs 2DES mobility values exceeding $100\times10^6$ cm$^2$/Vs could be achieved., Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures

In a low-disorder two-dimensional electron system, when two Landau levels of opposite spin or pseudospin cross at the Fermi level, the dominance of the exchange energy can lead to a ferromagnetic, quantum Hall ground state whose gap is determined by the exchange energy and has skyrmions as its excitations. This is normally achieved via applying either hydrostatic pressure or uniaxial strain. We study here a very high-quality, low-density, two-dimensional hole system, confined to a 30-nm-wide (001) GaAs quantum well, in which the two lowest-energy Landau levels can be gate tuned to cross at and near filling factor $ν=1$. As we tune the field position of the crossing from one side of $ν=1$ to the other by changing the hole density, the energy gap for the quantum Hall state at $ν=1$ remains exceptionally large, and only shows a small dip near the crossing. The gap overall follows a $\sqrt{B}$ dependence, expected for the exchange energy. Our data are consistent with a robust quantum Hall ferromagnet as the ground state., 7+2 pages, 4+4 figures

Composite fermions (CFs), exotic quasi-particles formed by pairing an electron and an even number of magnetic flux quanta emerge at high magnetic fields in an interacting electron system, and can explain phenomena such as the fractional quantum Hall state (FQHS) and other many-body phases. CFs possess an effective mass ($m_{CF}$) whose magnitude is inversely related to the most fundamental property of a FQHS, namely its energy gap. We present here experimental measurements of $m_{CF}$ in ultra-high quality two-dimensional electron systems confined to GaAs quantum wells of varying thickness. An advantage of measuring $m_{CF}$ over gap measurements is that mass values are insensitive to disorder and are therefore ideal for comparison with theoretical calculations, especially for high-order FQHS. Our data reveal that $m_{CF}$ increases with increasing well width, reflecting a decrease in the energy gap as the electron layer becomes thicker and the in-plane Coulomb energy softens. Comparing our measured masses with available theoretical results, we find significant quantitative discrepancies, highlighting that more rigorous and accurate calculations are needed to explain the experimental data.

The ground state of two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs) at low Landau level filling factors ($��\lesssim1/6$) has long been a topic of interest and controversy in condensed matter. Following the recent breakthrough in the quality of ultra-high-mobility GaAs 2DESs, we revisit this problem experimentally and investigate the impact of reduced disorder. In a GaAs 2DES sample with density $n=6.1\times10^{10}$ /cm$^2$ and mobility $��=25\times10^6$ cm$^2$/Vs, we find a deep minimum in the longitudinal magnetoresistance ($R_{xx}$) at $��=1/7$ when $T\simeq104$ mK. There is also a clear sign of a developing minimum in the $R_{xx}$ at $��=2/13$. While insulating phases are still predominant when $��\lesssim1/6$, these minima strongly suggest the existence of fractional quantum Hall states at filling factors that comply with the Jain sequence $��=p/(2mp\pm1)$ even in the very low Landau level filling limit. The magnetic field dependent activation energies deduced from the relation $R_{xx}\propto e^{E_A/2kT}$ corroborate this view, and imply the presence of pinned Wigner solid states when $��\neq p/(2mp\pm1)$. Similar results are seen in another sample with a lower density, further generalizing our observations., 6 pages, 4 figures

Topological insulators are a class of electronic materials exhibiting robust edge states immune to perturbations and disorder. This concept has been successfully adapted in photonics, where topologically nontrivial waveguides and topological lasers were developed. However, the exploration of topological properties in a given photonic system is limited to a fabricated sample, without the flexibility to reconfigure the structure in-situ. Here, we demonstrate an all-optical realization of the orbital Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model in a microcavity exciton-polariton system, whereby a cavity photon is hybridized with an exciton in a GaAs quantum well. We induce a zigzag potential for exciton polaritons all-optically, by shaping the nonresonant laser excitation, and measure directly the eigenspectrum and topological edge states of a polariton lattice in a nonlinear regime of bosonic condensation. Furthermore, taking advantage of the tunability of the optically induced lattice we modify the intersite tunneling to realize a topological phase transition to a trivial state. Our results open the way to study topological phase transitions on-demand in fully reconfigurable hybrid photonic systems that do not require sophisticated sample engineering., Comment: 7 pages, 4 figures

We report complex magnetotransport patterns of the $��=1$ integer quantum Hall state in a GaAs/AlGaAs sample from the newest generation with a record high electron mobility. The reentrant integer quantum Hall effect in the flanks of the $��=1$ plateau indicates the formation of the integer quantum Hall Wigner solid, a collective insulator. Moreover, at a fixed filling factor, the longitudinal resistance versus temperature in the region of the integer quantum Hall Wigner solid exhibits a sharp peak. Such sharp peaks in the longitudinal resistance versus temperature so far were only detected for bubble phases forming in high Landau levels but were absent in the region of the Anderson insulator. We suggest that in samples of sufficiently low disorder sharp peaks in the longitudinal resistance versus temperature traces are universal transport signatures of all isotropic electron solids that form in the flanks of integer quantum Hall plateaus. We discuss possible origins of these sharp resistance peaks and we draw a stability diagram for the insulating phases in the $��$-$T$ phase space.

Memory or transistor devices based on electron's spin rather than its charge degree of freedom offer certain distinct advantages and comprise a cornerstone of spintronics. Recent years have witnessed the emergence of a new field, valleytronics, which seeks to exploit electron's valley index rather than its spin. An important component in this quest would be the ability to control the valley index in a convenient fashion. Here we show that the valley polarization can be switched from zero to one by a small reduction in density, simply tuned by a gate bias, in a two-dimensional electron system. This phenomenon arises fundamentally as a result of electron-electron interaction in an itinerant, dilute electron system. Essentially, the kinetic energy favors an equal distribution of electrons over the available valleys, whereas the interaction between electrons prefers single-valley occupancy below a critical density. The gate-bias-tuned transition we observe is accompanied by a sudden, two-fold change in sample resistance, making the phenomenon of interest for potential valleytronic transistor device applications. Our observation constitutes a quintessential demonstration of valleytronics in a very simple experiment.

Study of the ground-state electronic spin-polarization can permit discovery and identification of novel correlated phases in the quantum Hall (QH) system. It can thus determine the potential usefulness of QH states for quantum computing. However, prior measurements involving optical and NMR techniques may perturb the system away from delicate ground-states. Here, we present spin-resolved pulsed tunneling (SRPT) that precisely determines the complete phase diagram of the ground-state spin-polarization as a function of magnetic field (B) and filling factor ({\nu}). We observe fully-polarized {\nu} = 5/2 and 8/3 states at very small B, suggesting strong deviation from the weakly-interacting composite-fermion model that largely successfully describes our phase diagram for the lowest Landau level. The results establish SRPT as a powerful technique for investigating correlated electron phenomena., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, Supplementary Materials

Recent progresses in condensed matter physics, such as graphene, topological insulator and Weyl semimetal, often origin from the specific topological symmetries of their lattice structures. Quantum states with different degrees of freedom, e.g. spin, valley, layer, etc., arise from these symmetries, and the coherent superpositions of these states form multiple energy subbands. The pseudospin, a concept analogy to the Dirac spinor matrices, is a successful description of such multi-subband systems. When the electron-electron interaction dominates, many-body quantum phases arise. They usually have digitized pseudospin polarizations and exhibit sharp phase transitions at certain universal critical pseudospin energy splittings. In this manuscript, we present our remarkable discovery of hydrostatic pressure induced degeneracy between the two lowest Landau levels. This degeneracy is evidenced by the pseudospin polarization transitions of the fragile correlated quantum liquid phases near Landau level filling factor $\nu$ = 3/2. Benefitted from the constant hole concentration and the sensitive nature of these transitions, we can study the fine-tuning effect of the hydrostatic pressure of the order of 10 $\mu$eV, well beyond the meV-level state-of-the-art resolution of other techniques.

Topological Physics relies on the specific structure of the eigenstates of Hamiltonians. Their geometry is encoded in the quantum geometric tensor containing both the celebrated Berry curvature, crucial for topological matter, and the quantum metric. The latter is at the heart of a growing number of physical phenomena such as superfluidity in flat bands, orbital magnetic susceptibility, exciton Lamb shift, and non-adiabatic corrections to the anomalous Hall effect. Here, we report the first direct measurement of both Berry curvature and quantum metric in a two-dimensional continuous medium. The studied platform is a planar microcavity of extremely high finesse, in the strong coupling regime. It hosts mixed exciton-photon modes (exciton-polaritons) subject to photonic spin-orbit-coupling which makes emerge Dirac cones and exciton Zeeman splitting breaking time-reversal symmetry. The monopolar and half-skyrmion pseudospin textures are measured by polarisation-resolved photoluminescence. The associated quantum geometry of the bands is straightforwardly extracted from these measurements. Our results unveil the intrinsic chirality of photonic modes which is at the basis of topological photonics. This technique can be extended to measure Bloch band geometries in artificial lattices. The use of exciton-polaritons (interacting photons) opens wide perspectives for future studies of quantum fluid physics in topological systems.

Optical trapping and manipulation of microcavity exciton polaritons rely on effective potentials induced by the interaction of polaritons with a reservoir of high energy excitonic particles injected by an off-resonant optical pump. Here, we experimentally investigate possible mechanisms responsible for reshaping of these effective potentials in the low-density exciton-polariton regime. We infer the spatial distribution of the reservoir from the spatially resolved energy of exciton-polariton emission measured at zero momentum (zero kinetic energy). Power-dependent shape analysis of the potential barrier induced by a focused continuous wave laser pump shows a monotonic decrease of the barrier width with increasing excitation power, which is attributed to the local heating of the sample at the pump spot. In addition, we observe the significant influence of the reservoir on the zero-momentum emission tens of micrometers away from the laser pump spot, which is in line with the previously reported enhanced transport of high-momentum excitonic polaritons from the bottleneck region. Our work presents evidence for a complex spatial reshaping of the reservoir with the pump power, contrary to the common assumption of a static reservoir distribution fixed by the intensity profile of the pump., Comment: There was a substantial error in the analysis of the experimental data presented in the paper. The figures as well as the conclusions of the manuscript are incorrect and should not be cited

The quantum Hall states at filling factors $ν=5/2$ and $7/2$ are expected to have Abelian charge $e/2$ quasiparticles and non-Abelian charge $e/4$ quasiparticles. The non-Abelian statistics of the latter has been predicted to display a striking interferometric signature, the even-odd effect. By measuring resistance oscillations as a function of magnetic field in Fabry-Pérot interferometers using new high purity heterostructures, we for the first time report experimental evidence for the non-Abelian nature of excitations at $ν=7/2$. At both $ν=5/2$ and $7/2$ we also examine, for the first time, the fermion parity, a topological quantum number of an even number of non-Abelian quasiparticles. The phase of observed $e/4$ oscillations is reproducible and stable over long times (hours) near both filling factors, indicating stability of the fermion parity. At both fractions, when phase fluctuations are observed, they are predominantly $π$ phase flips, consistent with either fermion parity change or change in the number of the enclosed $e/4$ quasiparticles. We also examine lower-frequency oscillations attributable to Abelian interference processes in both states. Taken together, these results constitute new evidence for the non-Abelian nature of $e/4$ quasiparticles; the observed life-time of their combined fermion parity further strengthens the case for their utility for topological quantum computation., Final version, nearly identical to the one published in Phys. Rev. X sans some questionable superficial changes insisted upon by the PRX editors and with Supplementary Materials included after the main text

Oscillations of the real component of AC conductivity $\sigma_1$ in a magnetic field were measured in the n-AlGaAs/GaAs structure with a wide (75 nm) quantum well by contactless acoustic methods at $T$=(20-500)~mK. In a wide quantum well, the electronic band structure is associated with the two-subband electron spectrum, namely the symmetric (S) and antisymmetric (AS) subbands formed due to electrostatic repulsion of electrons. A change of the oscillations amplitude in tilted magnetic field observed in the experiments occurs due to crossings of Landau levels of different subbands (S and AS) at the Fermi level. The theory developed in this work shows that these crossings are caused by the difference in the cyclotron energies in the S and AS subbands induced by the in-plane magnetic field., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

The enigmatic even-denominator fractional quantum Hall state at Landau level filling factor $��=5/2$ is arguably the most promising candidate for harboring Majorana quasi-particles with non-Abelian statistics and thus of potential use for topological quantum computing. The theoretical description of the $��=5/2$ state is generally believed to involve a topological p-wave pairing of fully spin-polarized composite fermions through their condensation into a non-Abelian Moore-Read Pfaffian state. There is, however, no direct and conclusive experimental evidence for the existence of composite fermions near $��=5/2$ or for an underlying fully spin-polarized Fermi sea. Here, we report the observation of composite fermions very near $��=5/2$ through geometric resonance measurements, and find that the measured Fermi wavevector provides direct demonstration of a Fermi sea with full spin polarization. This lends crucial credence to the model of $5/2$ fractional quantum Hall effect as a topological p-wave paired state of composite fermions.

Degenerate conduction-band minima, or `valleys', in materials such as Si, AlAs, graphene, and MoS$_2$ allow them to host two-dimensional electron systems (2DESs) that can access a valley degree of freedom. These multivalley 2DESs present exciting opportunities for both pragmatic and fundamental research alike because not only are they a platform for valleytronic devices, but they also provide a tool to tune and investigate the properties of complex many-body ground states. Here, we report ultra-high quality, modulation doped AlAs quantum wells containing 2DESs that occupy two anisotropic valleys and have electron mobilities peaking at $2.4\times10^6$ cm$^{2}$V$^{-1}$s$^{-1}$ at a density of $2.2\times10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$. This is more than an order of magnitude improvement in mobility over previous results. The unprecedented quality of our samples is demonstrated by magneto-transport data that show high-order fractional quantum Hall minima up to the Landau level filling $\nu=8/17$, and even the elusive $\nu=1/5$ quantum Hall state., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

Microwave spectroscopy within the Landau filling ($��$) range of the integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE) has revealed pinning mode resonances signifying Wigner solids (WSs) composed of quasi-particles or -holes. We study pinning modes of WSs in wide quantum wells (WQWs) for $ 0.8\le��\le1.2$, varying the density, $n$, and tilting the sample by angle $��$ in the magnetic field. Three distinct WS phases are accessed. One phase, S1, is phenomenologically the same as the WS observed in the IQHEs of narrow QWs. The second phase, S2, exists at $��$ further from $��=1$ than S1, and requires a sufficiently large $n$ or $��$, implying S2 is stabilized by the Zeeman energy. The melting temperatures of S1 and S2, estimated from the disappearance of the pinning mode, show different behavior vs $��$. At the largest $n$ or $��$, S2 disappears and the third phase, S1A, replaces S1, also exhibiting a pinning mode. This occurs as the WQW $��=1$ IQHE becomes a two-component, Halperin-Laughlin $\pone$ state. We interpret S1A as a WS of the excitations of $\pone$, which has not been previously observed.

We show the direct effect of free electrons colliding with polaritons, changing their momentum. The result of this interaction of the electrons with the polaritons is a change in the angle of emission of the photons from our cavity structure. Because the experiment is a photon-in, photon-out system, this is equivalent to optical beam steering of photons using a direct electrical current. The effect is asymmetric, significantly slowing down the polaritons when they move oppositely to the electrons, while the polaritons are only slightly accelerated by electrons moving in the same direction. We present a theoretical model which describes this effect as well as energy dissipation in a polariton condensate., Comment: 6 pages and 5 figures in main text; 14 pages and 10 figures in supplementary information

We measured the activation energy gap of the N = 2 bubble states using tilted-field technique in two GaAs/AlGaAs samples with Corbino geometry, and observed monotonically decreasing energy gaps with the increasing total magnetic field. The observed tilt angle dependence is discussed based on magneto-orbital coupling and finite-size effect. We also found a bubble state at an uncommon filling factor of 4.67, with an unanticipated energy gap of up to 5.35 K and opposite in-plane field dependence.

Measuring the magnetoresistance (MR) of ultraclean {\it GaAs} two-dimensional holes in a large $r_s$ range of 20-50, two striking behaviors in relation to the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) emerge in response to strong electron-electron interaction. First, in exact correspondence to the zero-field metal-to-insulator transition (MIT), the sign of the MR switches from being positive in the metallic regime to being negative in the insulating regime when the carrier density crosses the critical density $p_c$ of MIT ($r_s\sim 39$). Second, as the SOC-driven correction $\Delta\rho$ to the MR decreases with reducing carrier density (or the in-plane wave vector), it exhibits an upturn in the close proximity just above $p_c$ where $r_s$ is beyond 30, indicating a substantially enhanced SOC effect. This peculiar behavior echoes with a trend of delocalization long suspected for the SOC-interaction interplay. Meanwhile, for $p40$, in contrast to the common belief that a magnet field enhances Wigner crystallization, the negative MR is likely linked to enhanced interaction.

Bose-Einstein condensate of exciton polaritons in a semiconductor microcavity is a macroscopically populated coherent quantum state subject to concurrent pumping and decay. Debates about the fundamental nature of the condensed phase in this open quantum system still persist. Here, we gain a new insight into the spontaneous condensation process by imaging long-lifetime exciton polaritons in a high-quality inorganic microcavity in the single-shot optical excitation regime, without averaging over multiple condensate realisations. In this highly non-stationary regime, a condensate is strongly influenced by the `hot' incoherent reservoir, and reservoir depletion is critical for the transition to the ground energy and momentum state. Condensates formed by more photonic exciton polaritons exhibit dramatic reservoir-induced density filamentation and shot-to-shot fluctuations. In contrast, condensates of more excitonic quasiparticles display smooth density and are second-order coherent. Our observations show that the single-shot measurements offer a unique opportunity to study formation of macroscopic phase coherence during a quantum phase transition in a solid state system., 18 pages, 5 figures

We study the magnetoresistance of an ultrahigh mobility GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional electron sample in a weak magnetic field under low-frequency (f < 20 GHz) microwave (MW) irradiation. We observe that with decreasing MW frequency, microwave induced resistance oscillations (MIRO) damp and multi-photon processes become dominant. At very low MW frequency (f < 4 GHz), MIRO disappears gradually and a new SdH-like oscillation develops. The analysis indicates that the new oscillation may originate from alternating Hall-field induced resistance oscillations (ac-HIRO), or can be viewed as a multi-photon process of MIRO in low MW frequency limit. Our findings bridge the non-equilibrium states of MIRO and HIRO, which can be brought into a frame of quantum tunneling junction model.

Two-dimensional (2D) solid-liquid transition (SLT)~\cite{Mermin1966Absence,Mermin1968Crystalline,Kosterlitz1972Long} concerns fundamental concepts of long-range correlations vital to magnetism, superconductivity, superfluidity, and topological matters. A long sought-after example is the melting of a Wigner Crystal (WC)~\cite{Wigner1934Interaction} of electrons. Detection efforts have targeted distinctive collective modes such as pinning by disorder, resonant-frequency absorption of Goldstone modes, and melting transition. However, only one-step second-order melting of softly-pinned modes was reported. Without the evidence of genuine pinning as exhibited in the charge density waves (CDWs)~\cite{PinningCDW}, these modes are likely intermediate phases which are only part of a complete SLT. To verify if there is a WC-intermediate phase transition will not only provide a solid proof of a WC, but will also unveil the nature of the SLT in relation to the two-stage Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) model~\cite{Kosterlitz1972Long,Kosterlitz1973Ordering,Halperin1978Theory,Nelson1979Dislocation,hexatic_ceperley,hexatic_nelson, Young1979Melting}. %(or dislocation pairs) above a critical temperature $T_c$. Through transport studies of ultra-dilute high-purity 2D systems, this work presents evidence for not only a WC, but also for a two-stage WC-liquid SLT mediated by a first-order WC-intermediate phase transition.

Transport measurements under a tilted magnetic field were performed on a series of C-doped (001) AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs two-dimensional hole samples. Due to a large g-factor, Zeeman energy is large and comparable to the cyclotron energy in these samples. On the other hand, it was found that the in-plane component g// is small, and the effect of tilted magnetic field is mainly to increase the effective mass of holes. We investigate the spin transition of composite fermion states around Landau level (LL) filling factor 3/2. We found that the {\nu} = 4/3 state encounters a partial to full spin polarization transition, conforming to the same pattern as that of electron samples. In addition, high-resistance phase emerges at {\nu} = 3/2 under very high tilt angles. We interpret both of these phenomena as a consequence of LL crossings that are mainly driven by the orbital effects. The roles that the spin degrees of freedom play in FQH states around {\nu} = 3/2 in these systems will be discussed.

We report on high-order magnetoplasmon resonances detected in photoresistance in high-mobility GaAs quantum wells. These resonances manifest themselves as a series of photoresistance extrema in the regime of Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. Extending to orders above 20, the extrema exhibit alternating strength, being less (more) pronounced at even (odd) order magnetoplasmon modes. This experimental technique provides sensitive and elegant means to detect and investigate multiple magnetoplasmon modes and could be applied to other systems.

In two-dimensional hole systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells, where the heavy- and light- hole states are close in energy, we observe a very unusual crossing of the lowest two Landau levels as the sample is tilted in magnetic field. At a magic tilt angle $��\simeq 34^{\circ}$, which surprisingly is independent of the well-width or hole density, in a large filling factor range near $��=1$ the lowest two levels are nearly degenerate as evinced by the presence of two-component quantum Hall states. Remarkably, a quantum Hall state is seen at $��=1$, consistent with a \textit{correlated} $��_{111}$ state.

We report an anti-levitation behavior of Landau levels in vanishing magnetic fields in a high quality hetero-junction insulated-gated field-effect transistor. We found, in the Landau fan diagram of electron density versus magnetic field, the positions of the magneto-resistance minima at Landau level fillings \nu=4, 5, 6 move below the 'traditional' Landau level line to lower electron densities. Moreover, the even and odd filling factors show quantitatively different behaviors in anti-levitation, suggesting that the exchange interactions may be important.

A transport study of two-dimensional (2D) holes confined to wide GaAs quantum wells provides a glimpse of a subtle competition between different many-body phases at Landau level filling $��=3/2$ in tilted magnetic fields. At large tilt angles ($��$), an anisotropic, stripe (or nematic) phase replaces the isotropic compressible Fermi sea at $��=3/2$ if the quantum well has a symmetric charge distribution. When the charge distribution is made asymmetric, instead of the stripe phase, an even-denominator fractional quantum state appears at $��=3/2$ in a range of large $��$, and reverts back to a compressible state at even higher $��$. We attribute this remarkable evolution to the significant mixing of the excited and ground-state Landau levels of 2D hole systems in tilted fields.

Using acoustic methods the complex high-frequency conductance of high-mobility $n$-GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures was determined in magnetic fields 12$��$18~T. Based on the observed frequency and temperature dependences we conclude that in the investigated magnetic field range and at sufficiently low temperatures, $T \lesssim 200$~mK, the electron system forms a Wigner crystal deformed due to pinning by disorder. At some temperature, which depends on the electron filling factor, the temperature dependences of both components of the complex conductance get substantially changed. We have ascribed this rapid change of the conduction mechanism to melting of the Wigner crystal and study the dependence of the so-defined melting temperature on the electron filling factor., 6 pages, 8 figures. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1511.05376

We report the observation of low-lying collective charge and spin excitations in the second Landau level at {\nu} = 2 + 1/3 and also for the very fragile states at {\nu} = 2 + 2/5, 2 + 3/8 in inelastic light scattering experiments. These modes exhibit a clear dependence on filling factor and temperature substantiating the unique access to the characteristic neutral excitation spectra of the incompressible FQHE states. A detailed mode analysis reveals low energy modes at around 70 {\mu}eV and a sharp mode slightly below the Zeeman energy interpreted as gap and spin wave excitation, respectively. The lowest energy collective charge excitation spectrum at {\nu} = 2 + 1/3 exhibits significant similarities and a universal scaling of the energies with its cousin state in the lowest Landau level at {\nu} = 1/3 suggesting similar underlying physics. The observed excitation spectra facilitate to distinguish between theoretical descriptions of the nature of those FQHE states. A striking polarization dependence in light scattering is discussed in the framework of anisotropic electron phases that allow for the stabilization of nematic FQHE states.

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.

We have carried out a systematic study of the tilted magnetic field induced anisotropy at the Landau level filling factor ��=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 ��=5/2 anisotropy., Phys. Rev. B 91, 125308 (2015)

How the two dimensional (2D) quantum Wigner crystal (WC) transforms into the metallic liquid phase remains to be an outstanding problem in physics. In theories considering the 2D WC to liquid transition in the clean limit, it was suggested that a number of intermediate phases might exist. We have studied the transformation between the metallic fluid phase and the low magnetic field reentrant insulating phase (RIP) which was interpreted as due to WC formation [Qiu et al, PRL 108, 106404 (2012)], in a strongly correlated 2D hole system with large interaction parameter $r_s$ ($\sim~$20-30) and high mobility. Instead of a sharp transition, we found that increasing density (or lowering $r_s$) drives the RIP into a state where the incipient RIP coexists with Fermi liquid. This apparent mixture phase intermediate between Fermi liquid and WC also exhibits a non-trivial temperature dependent resistivity behavior which may be qualitatively understood by the reversed melting of WC in the mixture, in analogy to the Pomeranchuk effect in the solid-liquid mixture of Helium-3.

We observe geometric resonance features of composite fermions on the flanks of the even denominator �� = 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 �� = 1/2 the system stays single-component and supports a composite fermion Fermi sea before transitioning into a �� = 1/2 fractional quantum Hall state, presumably the two-component ��331 state.

We have measured magnetic field dependences of the attenuation and velocity of surface acoustic waves in a high-mobility $n$-GaAs/AlGaAs structure with a wide quantum well. The results allowed us to find the complex conductance, $��(��)$, of the heterostructure for different frequencies, temperatures and magnetic fields near filling factors $��=1, 2$. Observed behavior of $��(��)$ versus magnetic field outside close vicinities of integer fillings reveals an oscillation pattern indicative of the rich fractional quantum Hall effect. Our result is that in very close vicinities of integer filling factors the AC response of a high-mobility two-dimensional structures behaves as that of a two-dimensional system of localized electrons. Namely, both real and imaginary parts of the complex AC conductance at low temperatures agree with the predictions for the two-site model for a two-dimensional hopping system. Another result is the specific temperature dependences of $��(��)$, which are extremely sensitive to the filling factor value. These dependences indicate a sharp crossover between the localized modes and a pinned Wigner crystal., 6 pages, 5 figures

The fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) states at half integer Landau fillings ($\nu$) have long been of great interest, since they have correlations that differ from those of the fundamental Laughlin states found at odd denominators. At $\nu=1/2$ the FQHE has been observed in wide or double quantum wells, and is ascribed to the two-component Halperin-Laughlin $\Psi_{331}$ state. $\Psi_{331}$ excitations carry charge $\pm e/4$, like the carriers of $\nu=5/2$ states which are of interest in quantum computation. Further, such an excitation (quasiparticle or -hole) of $\Psi_{331}$ has unequal, opposite charge in the top and bottom layers, and hence an up or down dipole moment. Here we report evidence for a Wigner solid (WS) of such dipolar quasiholes from a quantitative study of the microwave spectra of a wide quantum well (WQW) at $\nu$ close to 1/2.

High frequency (ac) conductivity in the single quantum well AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs with high mobility was investigated by contactless acoustic methods in the fractional quantum Hall effect regime in perpendicular and tilted magnetic fields. We studied the dependence of ac conductivity $��^{ac}=��_1 - i��_2$ on both the temperature and magnetic field tilt angle. Tilting the magnetic field relative to the sample surface enabled us to change the position of the conductivity oscillation minimum at $��$=2/3. We measured the temperature dependence of ac conductivity for each tilt angle and for the 2/3 state we calculated the activation energy $��E$ which was derived by constructing the Arrhenius plot ln $��_1$ against 1/$T$. Analyzing behavior of the activation energy in total magnetic field for the filling factor 2/3 we observed a distinct minimum which can be interpreted as the spin unpolarized-polarized phase transition., 4 pages, 4 figures

In this work we report the opening of an energy gap at the filling factor $\nu=3+1/3$, 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 $\nu=3+1/3$ and $3+1/5$ states from the upper spin branch are reversed when compared to the $\nu=2+1/3$ 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.

When the kinetic energy of a collection of interacting two-dimensional (2D) electrons is quenched at very high magnetic fields so that the Coulomb repulsion dominates, the electrons are expected to condense into an ordered array, forming a quantum Wigner crystal (WC). Although this exotic state has long been suspected in high-mobility 2D electron systems at very low Landau level fillings ($��<, Version #2; contains new data and replaces Version #1

In two-dimensional electron systems confined to GaAs quantum wells, as a function of either tilting the sample in magnetic field or increasing density, we observe multiple transitions of the fractional quantum Hall states (FQHSs) near filling factors $\nu=3/4$ and 5/4. The data reveal that these are spin-polarization transitions of interacting two-flux composite Fermions, which form their own FQHSs at these fillings. The fact that the reentrant integer quantum Hall effect near $\nu=4/5$ always develops following the transition to full spin polarization of the $\nu=4/5$ FQHS strongly links the reentrant phase to a pinned \emph{ferromagnetic} Wigner crystal of two-flux composite Fermions.

We report on a colossal negative magnetoresistance (MR) in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well which, at low temperatures, is manifested by a drop of the resistivity by more than an order of magnitude at a magnetic field $B \approx 1$ kG. In contrast to MR effects discussed earlier, the MR reported here is not parabolic, even at small $B$, and persists to much higher in-plane magnetic fields and temperatures. Remarkably, the temperature dependence of the resistivity at $B \approx 1$ kG is linear over the entire temperature range studied (from 1 to 30 K) and appears to coincide with the high-temperature limit of the zero-field resistivity, hinting on the important role of acoustic phonons.

Magnetotransport measurements on two-dimensional electrons confined to wide GaAs quantum wells reveal a remarkable evolution of the ground state at filling factor $��=1/2$ as we tilt the sample in the magnetic field. Starting with a compressible state at zero tilt angle, a strong $��=1/2$ 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.

We observe fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) at the even-denominator Landau level filling factor $��=1/2$ in two-dimensional hole systems confined to GaAs quantum wells of width 30 to 50 nm and having bilayer-like charge distributions. The $��=1/2$ FQHE is stable when the charge distribution is symmetric and only in a range of intermediate densities, qualitatively similar to what is seen in two-dimensional electron systems confined to approximately twice wider GaAs quantum wells. Despite the complexity of the hole Landau level structure, originating from the coexistence and mixing of the heavy- and light-hole states, we find the hole $��=1/2$ FQHE to be consistent with a two-component, Halperin-Laughlin ($��_{331}$) state.

We report ballistic transport commensurability minima in the magnetoresistance of $��=3/2$ 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 $��=3/2$, which we explain quantitatively by comparing three CF density models and concluding that the $��=3/2$ 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 $��=1/2$ CF case at comparable $B_{||}$. Moreover, the applied $B_{||}$ further spin-polarizes the $��=3/2$ CFs as deduced from the positions of the commensurability minima., 12 pages, 9 figures

The region of filling factors $1/3