Y. Gefen et Dj. Thouless, DETECTION OF FRACTIONAL CHARGE AND QUENCHING OF THE QUANTUM HALL-EFFECT, Physical review. B, Condensed matter, 47(16), 1993, pp. 10423-10436
A two-dimensional electron gas in the fractional-quantum-Hall-effect (
FQHE) regime is characterized by fractionally charged excitations e =
ve (v < 1). Given the appropriate geometry, can one observe multiple
Aharonov-Bohm (MAB) oscillations of basic periodicity h/e? We show th
at such oscillations may indeed be observed over a time scale that can
be made macroscopically long. This is the result of a dynamical symme
try breaking of the ground state. When fractional charges become abund
ant, only standard AB oscillations (of period h/e) will be observed, a
nd the measured FQHE conductivity will be quenched either to zero or t
o a nontrivial integer. These effects may be manifested in dc measurem
ents as well, the physics being related to that discussed in the conte
xt of the Coulomb blockade.