Influence of Interactions on Flux and Back-gate Period of Quantum Hall Interferometers

TL;DR

This paper investigates how interactions influence flux periodicity and back-gate effects in quantum Hall interferometers, revealing that coupling between Landau levels causes flux subperiods below one flux quantum, with implications for fractional quantum Hall systems.

Contribution

It introduces a generalized model showing how Landau level coupling affects flux periodicity in quantum Hall interferometers, extending to fractional regimes and comparing with experimental data.

Findings

Coupling between Landau levels causes flux subperiods smaller than one flux quantum.

Electron interactions lead to Coulomb-blockade effects modulating conductance.

Predictions align with experimental observations in quantum Hall systems.

Abstract

In quantum Hall systems with two narrow constrictions, tunneling between opposite edges can give rise to quantum interference and Aharonov-Bohm-like oscillations of the conductance. When there is an integer quantized Hall state within the constrictions, a region between them, with higher electron density, may form a compressible island. Electron-tunneling through this island can lead to residual transport, modulated by Coulomb-blockade type effects. We find that the coupling between the fully occupied lower Landau levels and the higher-partially occupied level gives rise to flux subperiods smaller than one flux quantum. We generalize this scenario to other geometries and to fractional quantum Hall systems, and compare our predictions to experiments.