Hidden Quantum Hall Stripes in Al_{x}Ga_{1-x}As/Al_{0.24}Ga_{0.76}As Quantum Wells.

We report on transport signatures of hidden quantum Hall stripe (hQHS) phases in high (N>2) half-filled Landau levels of Al_{x}Ga_{1-x}As/Al_{0.24}Ga_{0.76}As quantum wells with varying Al mole fraction x<10^{-3}. Residing between the conventional stripe phases (lower N) and the isotropic liquid phases (higher N), where resistivity decreases as 1/N, these hQHS phases exhibit isotropic and N-independent resistivity. Using the experimental phase diagram, we establish that the stripe phases are more robust than theoretically predicted, calling for improved theoretical treatment. We also show that, unlike conventional stripe phases, the hQHS phases do not occur in ultrahigh mobility GaAs quantum wells but are likely to be found in other systems.

Anomalous Nematic States in High Half-Filled Landau Levels.

It is well established that the ground states of a two-dimensional electron gas with half-filled high (N≥2) Landau levels are compressible charge-ordered states, known as quantum Hall stripe (QHS) phases. The generic features of QHSs are a maximum (minimum) in a longitudinal resistance R_{xx} (R_{yy}) and a nonquantized Hall resistance R_{H}. Here, we report on emergent minima (maxima) in R_{xx} (R_{yy}) and plateaulike features in R_{H} in half-filled N≥3 Landau levels. Remarkably, these unexpected features develop at temperatures considerably lower than the onset temperature of QHSs, suggestive of a new ground state.

Nonlinear magnetoresistance oscillations in intensely irradiated two-dimensional electron systems induced by multiphoton processes.

We report on magneto-oscillations in differential resistivity of a two-dimensional electron system subject to intense microwave radiation. The period of these oscillations is determined not only by microwave frequency but also by its intensity. A theoretical model based on quantum kinetics at high microwave power captures all important characteristics of this phenomenon which is strongly nonlinear in microwave intensity. Our results demonstrate a crucial role of the multiphoton processes near the cyclotron resonance and its harmonics in the presence of strong dc electric field and offer a unique way to reliably determine the intensity of microwaves acting on electrons.

Temperature dependence of microwave photoresistance in 2D electron systems.

We report on the temperature dependence of microwave-induced resistance oscillations in high-mobility two-dimensional electron systems. We find that the oscillation amplitude decays exponentially with increasing temperature, as exp(-alphaT;{2}), where alpha scales with the inverse magnetic field. This observation indicates that the temperature dependence originates primarily from the modification of the single particle lifetime, which we attribute to electron-electron interaction effects.

Phonon-induced resistance oscillations in 2D systems with a very high electron mobility.

We report on the temperature dependence of acoustic-phonon-induced resistance oscillations in very-high mobility two-dimensional electron systems. We observe that the temperature dependence is nonmonotonic and that higher order oscillations are best developed at progressively lower temperatures. Our analysis shows that, in contrast with the Shubnikov-de Haas effect, phonon-induced resistance oscillations are sensitive to electron-electron interactions modifying the single particle lifetime.

Microwave photoresistance in dc-driven 2D systems at cyclotron resonance subharmonics.

We study microwave photoresistivity oscillations in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron system subject to strong dc electric fields. We find that near the second subharmonic of the cyclotron resonance the frequency of the resistivity oscillations with a dc electric field is twice the frequency of the oscillations at the cyclotron resonance, its harmonics, or in the absence of microwave radiation. This observation is discussed in terms of the microwave-induced sidebands in the density of states and the interplay between different scattering processes in the separated Landau level regime.

Resonant phonon scattering in quantum Hall systems driven by dc electric fields.

Using dc excitation to spatially tilt Landau levels, we study resonant acoustic phonon scattering in two-dimensional electron systems. We observe that dc electric field strongly modifies phonon resonances, transforming resistance maxima into minima and back into maxima. Further, phonon resonances are enhanced dramatically in the nonlinear dc response and can be detected even at low temperatures. Most of our observations can be explained in terms of dc-induced (de)tuning of the resonant acoustic phonon scattering and its interplay with inter-Landau level impurity scattering. Finally, we observe a resistance maximum when the electron drift velocity approaches the speed of sound and a dc-induced zero-differential resistance state.

Resistance oscillations in two-dimensional electron systems induced by both ac and dc fields.

We report on magnetotransport measurements in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron system subject simultaneously to ac (microwave) and dc (Hall) fields. We find that dc excitation affects microwave photoresistance in a nontrivial way. Photoresistance maxima (minima) evolve into minima (maxima) and back, reflecting strong coupling and interplay of ac- and dc-induced effects. Most of our observations can be explained in terms of indirect electron transitions using a new, combined resonant condition. Observed quenching of microwave-induced zero resistance by a dc field cannot be unambiguously linked to a domain model, at least before a systematic theory treating both excitation types within a single framework is developed.

Bichromatic microwave photoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system.

We explore experimentally bichromatic (frequencies omega(1) and omega(2)) photoresistance of a two-dimensional electron system in the regimes of microwave-induced resistance oscillations and zero-resistance states. We find bichromatic resistance to be well described by a superposition of omega(1) and omega(2) and components, provided that both monochromatic resistances are positive. This relation holds even when the oscillation amplitudes are small and one could expect additive contributions from monochromatic photoresistances. In contrast, whenever a zero-resistance state is formed by one of the frequencies, such superposition relation breaks down and the bichromatic resistance is strongly suppressed.

Observation of microwave-induced zero-conductance state in Corbino rings of a two-dimensional electron system.

Using Corbino samples we have observed oscillatory dc conductance in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron system when it is subjected to crossed microwave and magnetic fields. At the strongest of the oscillation minima the conductance is found to be vanishingly small, indicating a macroscopic insulating state associated with this minimum. With increasing voltage bias, a crossover from Ohmic to electron-heating regime is observed.

Evidence for a new dissipationless effect in 2D electronic transport.

In an ultraclean 2D electron system (2DES) subjected to crossed millimeterwave (30-150 GHz) and weak (B<2 kG) magnetic fields, a series of apparently dissipationless states emerges as the system is detuned from cyclotron resonances. Such states are characterized by an exponentially vanishing low-temperature diagonal resistance and a classical Hall resistance. The activation energies associated with such states exceed the Landau level spacing by an order of magnitude. Our findings are likely indicative of a collective ground state previously unknown for 2DES.

New class of magnetoresistance oscillations: interaction of a two-dimensional electron gas with leaky interface phonons.

We report on a new class of magnetoresistance oscillations observed in a high-mobility two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in GaAs-Al(x)Ga(1--x)As heterostructures. Appearing in a weak magnetic field ( B < 0.3 T) and only in a narrow temperature range ( 2 K < T < 9 K), these oscillations are periodic in 1/B with a frequency proportional to the electron Fermi wave vector, k(F). We interpret the effect as a magnetophonon resonance of the 2DEG with leaky interface-acoustic phonon modes carrying a wave vector q = 2k(F). Calculations show a few branches of such modes existing on the GaAs-Al(x)Ga(1--)xAs interface, and their velocities are in quantitative agreement with the observation.