A quantitative experimental test for the theoretical gap energies in the fractional quantum hall effect.
01 January 1988
The energy gap for quasi-particle excitations in the p/3 states of the fractional quantum hall effect (FQHE) has been determined in an ultra-high mobility (micron = 5 x 10 sup 6 cm sup 2/Vsec), quasi two-dimensional electron system in GaAs-(AlGa)As for which the finite thickness of the carrier system is accurately known. Recent few-particle numerical calculations incorporating such a finite thickness and mixing with higher Landau levels account for the high-magnetic field data to within ~20%. This provides the first quantitative test for theories on the FQHE.