Multiple Phases with the Same Quantized Hall Conductance in a Two-Subband System

Abstract

In a two-dimensional electron system with two occupied subbands, the experimentally determined phase diagram in the density-magnetic field plane exhibits rich topological features. Ringlike structures are observed at even integer filling factors in the phase diagram. Even with the identical quantized Hall resistance values as those given by the ordinary integer quantum Hall effect due to the Landau level quantization, the activation energies of these states within the rings are much smaller. These ring structures cannot be accounted for by the simple single particle picture. We argue that ferromagnetic quantum Hall states, due to the interaction of two energy levels with opposite spin and different subband indices, are responsible for these unusual structures.