Edge magnetoplasmons in a partially screened two-dimensional electron gas on a helium surface

Abstract

We report a study of edge magnetoplasmons in a partially screened system of electrons on a helium surface. We compare experimental results with theories of the frequency, damping, and penetration-depth dependence on magnetic field, temperature-dependent damping, and the dependence of the frequency on screening. We show explicitly the dependence of frequency on the edge density profile. The frequency and screening are in qualitative agreement with the theory of Fetter at small fields, and the frequencies agree with theory in the limit of zero magnetic field. The frequency and linewidths in intermediate and large fields exhibit the features of the qualitative predictions of Volkov and Mikhailov, but differ numerically. The dependence of frequency on the density profile is stronger than predicted by these authors, and the penetration-depth variation with field confirms their predictions for small fields.