Anomalous magnetotransport in wide quantum wells

Abstract We present magneto transport experiments of quasi 3D PbTe wide quantum wells. A plateau-like structure in the Hall resistance is observed, which corresponds to the Subnikov de Haas oscillations in the same manner as known from the quantum Hall effect. The onsets of plateaux in R xy do not correspond to 2D filling factors but coincide with the occupation of 3D (bulk-) Landau levels. At the same time a non-local signal is observed which corresponds to the structure in R xx and R xy and fulfils exactly the Onsager-Casimir relation [ R ij , kl ( B ) = R kl , ij (− B )]. We explain the behaviour in terms of edge channel transport which is controlled by a permanent backscattering across a system of “percolative EC-loops” in the bulk region. Long range potential fluctuations with an amplitude of the order of the subband splitting are explained to play an essential role in this electron system.