Universal conductance dips and fractional excitations in a two-subband quantum wire

Abstract

We theoretically investigate a quasi-one-dimensional quantum wire, where the lowest two subbands are populated, in the presence of a helical magnetic field. We uncover a backscattering mechanism involving the helical magnetic field and Coulomb interaction between the electrons. The combination of these ingredients results in scattering resonances and partial gaps which give rise to nonstandard plateaus and conductance dips at certain electron densities. The positions and values of these dips are independent of material parameters, serving as direct transport signatures of this mechanism. Our theory applies to generic quasi-one-dimensional systems, including a Kondo lattice and a quantum wire subject to intrinsic or extrinsic spin-orbit coupling. Observation of the universal conductance dips would identify a strongly correlated fermion system hosting fractional excitations, resembling the fractional quantum Hall states.