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Resonant dephasing in the electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer
Eugene V Sukhorukov1, Vadim V Cheianov
1Départment de Physique Théorique, Université de Genève, CH-1211 Genève 4, Switzerland.
Physical Review Letters
|November 13, 2007
Summary
Unexpected Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in quantum Hall systems are explained by strong interactions between edge states. This interaction, causing resonant plasmon scattering, offers a new method for edge state tomography.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Quantum mechanics
- Mesoscopic physics
Background:
- Aharonov-Bohm oscillations are fundamental quantum interference phenomena.
- Experimental realization in quantum Hall systems revealed unexpected behaviors.
- Understanding these behaviors is crucial for quantum device applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explain the unexpected behavior of Aharonov-Bohm oscillations in a quantum Hall electronic Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
- To identify the underlying physical mechanism responsible for the observed lobe structure and phase rigidity.
- To propose a novel method for characterizing quantum edge states.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical modeling of electron-electron interactions in quantum Hall edge states.
- Analysis of resonant scattering of plasmons between adjacent counterpropagating edge states.
- Formulation of visibility and phase shift in terms of plasmon transmission coefficients.
Main Results:
- A strong long-range interaction between adjacent edge states was identified as the cause of unexpected oscillation behavior.
- The lobe structure in visibility and phase rigidity were directly linked to resonant plasmon scattering.
- A theoretical framework was established to quantitatively describe the observed phenomena.
Conclusions:
- The unexpected Aharonov-Bohm oscillation patterns are attributed to strong inter-edge state interactions and plasmon scattering.
- The derived expressions for visibility and phase shift provide a direct link to plasmon transmission.
- This work introduces a powerful technique for the tomography of quantum edge states, enabling detailed characterization.
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