Anomalous nematic-to-stripe phase transition driven by in-plane magnetic fields


Abstract in English

Anomalous nematic states, recently discovered in ultraclean two-dimensional electron gas, emerge from quantum Hall stripe phases upon further cooling. These states are hallmarked by a local minimum (maximum) in the hard (easy) longitudinal resistance and by an incipient plateau in the Hall resistance in nearly half-filled Landau levels. Here, we demonstrate that a modest in-plane magnetic field, applied either along $left < 110 right >$ or $left < 1bar10 right >$ crystal axis of GaAs, destroys anomalous nematic states and restores quantum Hall stripe phases aligned along their native $left < 110 right >$ direction. These findings confirm that anomalous nematic states are distinct from other ground states and will assist future theories to identify their origin.

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