Interedge Phase Coherence in Quantum Hall Line Junctions

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Kang et al. have recently observed a remarkable zero-bias anomaly in the spectrum for electron tunneling between two 2D electron gases separated laterally by a narrow but high barrier in the presence of a perpendicular quantising magnetic field. We argue that this is a result of interedge phase coherence analogous to the interlayer phase coherence in quantum Hall (QHE) bilayer systems. The disruption of the QHE by the barrier is 'healed' by strong coulomb exchange enhancement of the weak tunneling through the barrier.