Anomalous Aharonov-Bohm Interference in the Presence of Edge Reconstruction

Abstract

Interferometry is a vital tool for studying fundamental features in the quantum Hall effect (QHE). For instance, Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interference in a quantum Hall interferometer can probe the wave-particle duality of electrons and quasiparticles. Here, we report an unusual AB interference in a quantum Hall Fabry-P\'erot interferometer (FPI), whose Coulomb interactions were suppressed with a grounded drain in the interior bulk of the FPI. In a descending filling factor from $\nu =3$ to $\nu\approx5/3$, the magnetic field periodicity, which corresponded to a single 'flux quantum,' agreed accurately with the enclosed area of the FPI. However, in the filling range, $\nu\approx5/3$ to ${\nu}=1$, the field periodicity increased markedly, apriori suggesting a drastic shrinkage of the AB area. Moreover, the modulation gate voltage periodicity decreased abruptly at this range. We attribute these unexpected observations to a ubiquitous edge reconstruction, leading to dynamical area changing with the field and a modified modulation gate-edge capacitance. These results are reproducible and support future interference experiments with a QHE-FPI.