Microwave and transport studies of the magnetically-induced insulating phase of bilayer hole systems

Abstract

This paper presents the first microwave absorption measurements on the magnetically-induced insulating phase of a bilayer hole system. The experiments provide strong evidence that the insulating phase is a bilayer solid that is more strongly pinned than a single layer system of comparable density. Transport measurements on the bilayer hole system show an activated behaviour. The results are consistent with a model in which, at a threshold field, the solid depins from the background pinning potentials and is able to slide en masse through the background semiconductor crystal.