Detection of a Landau band-coupling-induced rearrangement of the Hofstadter butterfly.
The spectrum of 2D electrons subjected to a weak 2D potential and a perpendicular magnetic field is composed of Landau bands with a fractal internal pattern of subbands and minigaps referred to as Hofstadter's butterfly. The Hall conductance may serve as a spectroscopic tool as each filled subband contributes a specific quantized value. Advances in sample fabrication now finally offer access to the regime away from the limiting case of a very weak potential. Complex behavior of the Hall conductance is observed and assigned to Landau band-coupling-induced rearrangements within the butterfly.
Geisler
M C
MC
Max-Planck-Institut für Festkörperforschung, D-70569 Stuttgart, Germany.
Smet
J H
JH
Umansky
V
V
von Klitzing
K
K
Naundorf
B
B
Ketzmerick
R
R
Schweizer
H
H