Fractionally charged magneto-excitons

The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in the fractional quantum Hall regime is studied. The response of the 2DEG to an optically injected valence hole depends on the separation d between the electron and hole layers. At d smaller than the magnetic length λ, the PL spectrum shows recombination of neutral (X) and charged (X−) excitons. At d>λ, the hole binds one or two Laughlin quasielectrons (QE) of the 2DEG to form fractionally charged excitons (FCX), hQE or hQE2. Different FCX states have different optical properties, and their stability depends critically on the presence of QEʹs in the 2DEG. This explains discontinuities observed in the PL spectrum at such (Laughlin) filling factors as ν=1/3 or 2/3.