Engineering Quantum Criticality in the Integer Quantum Hall Regime through a Screening Layer

Disorder-induced localization of electrons and electron-electron interaction are among the most fundamental problems in condensed matter physics. In two-dimensional electron systems, extensive studies have led to the emergence of a scaling picture, characterized by a set of universal critical exponents that govern the transitions between the integer quantum Hall plateaus. From the temperature dependence of the plateau-to-plateau transitions, experiments primarily report κ≃0.42, implying a dynamic exponent z=1, consistent with a theoretical picture where electrons have a long-range (1/r) interaction. Theory also predicts that z=2 for short-range electron interaction, but an experimental verification has remained elusive. Here, we directly probe the influence of Coulomb interaction on these transitions using a bilayer electron system confined to a GaAs double quantum well device. The two layers are in close proximity, with an interlayer distance approximately equal to the magnetic length at the relevant magnetic fields. By tuning the electron density in the top layer, we access both insulating and metallic phases of the electrons in this layer as a function of magnetic field, allowing in situ control of the unscreened and screened interaction strengths in the bottom layer as it goes through its plateau-to-plateau transitions. In the unscreened case, we measure κ≃0.42 consistent with the widely reported value. More importantly, when screening is introduced, κ is reduced to ≃0.22, implying z=2. Our results provide direct experimental evidence for the role of electron-electron interaction in determining critical behavior in the quantum Hall regime, and demonstrate screening as a powerful tuning parameter for engineering quantum criticality.