Voltage-controlled dissipation in the quantum Hall effect in a laterally constricted two-dimensional electron gas

1986; American Physical Society; Volume: 34; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1103/physrevb.34.5414

ISSN

1095-3795

Autores

J. R. Kirtley, Z. Schlesinger, Thomas Theis, F. P. Milliken, S. L. Wright, and L. F. Palmateer,

Tópico(s)

Semiconductor materials and devices

Resumo

We have observed controlled, low-voltage breakdown of the quantum Hall effect in GaAs-${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$As heterostructures with lateral constrictions a few micrometers in width. The breakdown characteristics show structure at voltages corresponding to the cyclotron energy for even filling factors or the exchange-enhanced Zeeman energy for odd filling factors. Analysis of these results in terms of a simple model implies that the dissipation process involves interlevel as well as intralevel scattering, and therefore that large potential gradients must be present in the two-dimensional electron gas. We interpret structure at multiples of the cyclotron energy for even filling factors in terms of a multiple-current-path model.

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