Strong electronic interaction and multiple quantum Hall ferromagnetic phases in trilayer graphene

Abstract

Quantum Hall effect provides a simple way to study the competition between single particle physics and electronic interaction. However, electronic interaction becomes important only in very clean graphene samples and so far the trilayer graphene experiments are understood within non-interacting electron picture. Here, we report evidence of strong electronic interactions and quantum Hall ferromagnetism seen in Bernal-stacked trilayer graphene. Due to high mobility ∼500,000 cm2V−1s−1 in our device compared to previous studies, we find all symmetry broken states and that Landau-level gaps are enhanced by interactions; an aspect explained by our self-consistent Hartree–Fock calculations. Moreover, we observe hysteresis as a function of filling factor and spikes in the longitudinal resistance which, together, signal the formation of quantum Hall ferromagnetic states at low magnetic field.