Finite Temperature Behavior of the $\nu =1$ Quantum Hall Effect in Bilayer Electron Systems

Abstract

An effective field theoretic description of $\nu =1$ bilayer electron systems stabilized by Coulomb repulsion in a single wide quantum well is examined using renormalization group techniques. The system is found to undergo a crossover from a low temperature strongly correlated quantum Hall state to a high temperature compressible state. This picture is used to account for the recent experimental observation of an anomalous transition in bilayer electron systems (T. S. Lay, {\em et al.} Phys. Rev. B {\bf 50}, 17725 (1994)). An estimate for the crossover temperature is provided, and it is shown that its dependence on electron density is in reasonable agreement with i the experiment.

Corrected typos, and changed content, 5 pages and 2 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev. B