Commensurability oscillations in fast particle energy loss to a density modulated 2DEG in a magnetic field

Abstract We examine fast particle energy loss as a probe of the properties of a density modulated 2DEG in a normal magnetic field. In the high velocity limit, the local plasmon spectrum makes two separate contributions to energy loss for both the cases in which the particle velocity is parallel and perpendicular to the planar 2DEG. The inter-Landau band plasmon makes a distinct contribution to energy loss through excitation of the hybrid 2D magnetoplasmon. The other local plasmon, associated with the spread of a Landau level into a miniband by application of the periodic potential associated with the density modulation contributes to energy loss with features corresponding to Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations jointly with an amplitude envelope exhibiting oscillations associated with the commensurability of the modulation period and the cyclotron radius at the Fermi energy.