We observe geometric resonance features of composite fermions on the flanks of the even denominator { u} = 1/2 fractional quantum Hall state in high-mobility two-dimensional electron and hole systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells and subjected
to a weak, strain-induced, unidirectional periodic potential modulation. The features provide a measure of how close to { u} = 1/2 the system stays single-component and supports a composite fermion Fermi sea before transitioning into a { u} = 1/2 fractional quantum Hall state, presumably the two-component {Psi}331 state.
We report a severe, spin-dependent, Fermi contour anisotropy induced by parallel magnetic field in a high-mobility (001) GaAs two-dimensional hole system. Employing commensurability oscillations created by a unidirectional, surface-strain-induced, pe
riodic potential modulation, we directly probe the anisotropy of the two spin subband Fermi contours. Their areas are obtained from the Fourier transform of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. Our findings are in semi-quantitative agreement with the results of parameter-free calculations of the energy bands.
