Collective neutral excitations as sensitive probe for the quality of 2D charge carrier systems in ultra-pure GaAs quantum wells

Ultra-clean low-dimensional interacting charge carrier systems are the basis to explore correlated states and phases. We report the observation of very narrow collective intersubband excitations (ISBE) of 2D electron systems (2DESs) with ultra-high mobilities in high quality GaAs quantum well structures. These findings from resonant inelastic light scattering (RILS) experiments are used as tools for exploration of links between transport mobility and collective electron behavior in 2DES of high perfection. We find that the linewidths of collective ISBE modes can be very narrow with values smaller than 80 μeV. Comparison of ISBE measurements from several high-mobility samples exhibits a variation in linewidth of more than a factor of two. There is, however, a surprising lack of direct correlation between ISBE linewidth with mobility in the range 15 × 10 6 c m 2 / V s ≤ μ ≤ 24 × 10 6 c m 2 / V s . ISBE by RILS are discussed as a sensitive probe to characterize the interacting electron systems for fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) studies. • Observation of very narrow intersubband excitations of high mobility ( μ ≥ 15 × 10 6 c m 2 / V s ) 2DES. • Single particle-like excitation with spin-flip indicative for spin-orbit effects. • Plasmon-like charge density excitation sensitive to homogeneity and purity. • RILS on ISBE powerful probe to characterize 2DES at relaxed experimental conditions.