Investigation of the mesoscopic Aharonov–Bohm effect in low magnetic fields

Abstract We have investigated the Aharonov–Bohm effect in mesoscopic semiconductor GaAs/GaA1As rings in low magnetic fields. The oscillatory magnetoconductance of these systems is systematically studied as a function of electron density. We observe phase shifts of π in the magnetoconductance oscillations, and halving of the fundamental h/e period, as the density is varied. Theoretically, we find agreement with the experiment, by introducing an asymmetry between the two arms of the ring.