Tunneling spectroscopy of a two-dimensionally periodic electron system.

The tunneling current between an electron gas with a periodic potential in two dimensions and a plain two-dimensional electron system (2DES) has been studied. The strength of the periodic potential, the subband energy of the plain 2DES, and an applied in-plane magnetic field were varied, mapping the Fourier transform of the periodic wave function. Periodic peaks were observed and explained by translations in the reciprocal lattice. When the potential was strongly modulated to form an array of antidots, commensurability peaks were seen in lateral transport, but, as expected, not in tunneling.