Large Splitting of the Cyclotron Resonance Line in AlGaN/GaN Heterostructures

Cyclotron-resonance (CR) measurements on two-dimensional (2D) electrons in AlGaN/GaN heterojunctions reveal large splittings (up to 2 meV) of the CR line for all investigated densities, $n_{2D}$, from 1 to $4\times 10^{12}cm^{-2}$ over wide ranges of magnetic field. The features resemble a level anti-crossing and imply a strong interaction with an unknown excitation of the solid. The critical energy of the splitting varies from 5 to 12 meV and as $\sqrt{n_{2D}}$. The phenomenon resembles data from AlGaAs/GaAs whose origin remains unresolved. It highlights a lack of basic understanding of a very elementary resonance in solids.