Staging transitions in multiple-quantum-well systems

Abstract

We suggest the possibility that staging transitions, similar to those in graphite intercalation compounds, might occur in a strong magnetic field for high-quality modulation-doped multiple-quantum-well systems with sufficiently low carrier density, ρ¯, and sufficiently short superlattice period, d. In a stage-n state electrons would occupy every nth quantum well. A simple model calculation suggests that n≥1 states have lower energy for $d^3$ρ¯≲0.3.