L’étude des symétries d’un système peut en révéler de nombreuses propriétés physiques. La brisure, spontanée ou non, d’une de ces symétries implique alors d’importantes conséquences sur le comportement du système. On le voit dans la description actuelle de la physique des particules, avec notamment la création de la masse, ou dans la physique des solides, domaine de cette thèse, avec l’apparition de phases aux propriétés diverses, comme le magnétisme ou la supraconductivité. Le présent travail étudie par spectroscopie de photoémission résolue en angle (ARPES) les effets d’une brisure de symétrie dans deux systèmes différents : le système de fermions lourds URu2Si2 et l’oxyde de métal de transition (TMO) KTaO3. Le cristal d’URu2Si2 passe d’une phase paramagnétique pour T>THO, sujette à la cohérence de Kondo, vers la phase dite d’ordre caché pour T<THO, avec THO ≈ 17.5 K, brisant potentiellement plusieurs symétries. Bien qu’il y a presque trente ans que cettetransition de phase fut mesurée expérimentalement, aucun modèle théorique n’a encore réussi à faire consensus dans la communauté. Malgré une caractérisation expérimentale désormais très poussé de ce système, des informations résolues en angle manquent cruellement pour la compréhension de cette mystérieuse phase. Ce travail de thèse utilise donc des installations ARPES pour mettre en évidence, entre autre, le gap d’ordre caché, d’une amplitude inférieure à 10 meV. Nous montrons que ces mesures s’accordent avec plusieurs travaux expérimentaux précédents. Finalement, nous trouvons de fortes similarités entre les dispersions mesurées et celles calculées par LSDA, soulignant toutefois la nécessité d’introduire une renormalisation importante des masses effectives. Ce résultat contraint fortement les futures modélisations du comportement électronique de l’URu2Si2, tranchant sur l’approche à adopter.Contrairement au dernier système, où nous étudions une transition de phase, dans le tantalate de potassium KTaO3, notre attention se porte sur la brisure de symétrie de translation provoquée par la surface (111). Faisant suite à des mesures de transport qui revélèrent l’existence d’un gaz d’électron bidimensionnel (2DEG) à l’interface d’une hétérostructure de deux TMOs isolants de bandes, notre groupe mesura, plus tard, des 2DEGs aux surfaces (001) nues de SrTiO3 et de KTaO3, par ARPES. C’est dans la continuité de ces résultats que se place le présent travail, avec le désir d’élargir les caractéristiques de ces 2DEGs. Ainsi, poussé par la prédiction théorique d’état au caractère topologique non-trivial, nous apportons l’évidence d’un 2DEG à la surface (111) de KTaO3. Nous modélisons ensuite avec succès sa dispersion particulière grâce à des calculs de liaisons fortes. Ce travail constitue une étape dans la possible mise en évidence d’états au caractère topologique non-trivial dans les TMOs. / Several physical properties of a system can be understood by looking at the symmetries involved. Breaking of a symmetry affects the behavior of the system, regardless ifit happens spontaneously or not. This is observed with the emergence of the mass inparticle physics models, or with the diverse phases arising in condensed matter systems,as magnetism or superconductivity. Using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), this work studies theeffects of a symmetry breaking for two different systems : the heavy fermion systemURu2Si2 and the transition metal oxide (TMO) KTaO3. In URu2Si2, a transition occurs from a paramagnetic phase at T>THO to the hiddenorder phase at T<THO, with THO ≈ 17.5 K. This new order potentially breaks several symmetries. Although this transition was measured almost thirty years back, usingelectrical transport, no theoretical model could yet bring a consensus in the community. Since then, various characterizations of this system have been realized, howevermomentum-resolved informations are still missing to help unravel this mystery. Thus,during this thesis, we used state-of-the-art ARPES setups to measure several gaps located at different points in the Brillouin zone, and with amplitudes below 10 meV. Someof them are related to the Kondo coherence, and one is the hidden order gap. We showthat these measurements are consistent with previous experimental works. Finally, weobserved that our measurements differ from LSDA calculations solely by a renormalization of the effective masses by, at least, a factor 10 close to the Fermi level. Taking intoaccount some interactions, such as electronic ones, could lead to a more accurate model.Our measurements provide the constraints for this possible modeling. Unlike the transition we just described, the symmetry breaking in potassium tantalate KTaO3 is not spontaneous. In this system, we look at the (111) surface, wherethe translation symmetry is broken. A metallic two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG)has been measured in 2004 by Ohtomo at the interface between two insulating TMOs :strontium titanate SrTiO3 and lanthanum aluminate LaAlO3. The possible electronicapplications of exotic properties in TMOs, resulting from the d orbitals, has brought anew wave of activity to this topic. Later, our group measured 2DEGs at the (001) baresurfaces of SrTiO3 and KTaO3. Following these results, we wished to tailor the characteristic of such 2DEGS. Led by the theoretical prediction of states with non-trivialtopological character, we are presenting the evidence of a 2DEG at the (111) surface ofKTaO3. We also discuss its dispersion and introduce a tight binding calculation modelsuccessfully. This work is a step towards the realization of non-trivial topological statesin transition metal oxides.

<div>Strong electronic correlations in many-body systems are cradles of new physics. They give birth to novel collective states hosting emergent quasiparticles as well as intriguing geometrical charge patterns. Two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs/AlGaAs under perpendicular magnetic field is one of the most well-known hosts in condensed matter physics where a plethora of the collective states appear. In the strong magnetic field regime, strong Coulomb interactions among the electrons create emergent quasiparticles, i.e. composite fermions and Cooper-paired composite fermions. In the weak magnetic field regime, modified Coulomb interactions drive electron solid phases having geometrical charge patterns in the shape of stripes and bubbles and lower the spatial symmetry of the states.</div><div><br></div><div>The fascinating charge order in bubble geometry is the electron bubble phase predicted first by the Hartree-Fock theory. In a bubble phase, certain number of electrons cluster as an entity called bubble and the bubbles order into a crystal of triangular lattice. In addition to the Hartree-Fock theory, the density matrix renormalization group and the exact diagonalization methods further support the formation of electronic bubbles.</div><div><br></div><div>Reentrant integer quantum Hall states are commonly accepted as the manifestations of the bubble phases in transport experiment. Soon after the first prediction of the Hartree-Fock theory, the reentrant integer quantum Hall states were observed in the third and higher Landau levels. Since then, the association to the bubble phases has been tested with different experimental techniques for decades.</div><div><br></div><div>Although the experimental results from different methods support the bubble phase picture of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states, the electron confinement under the quantum well structure hindered direct scanning of bubble morphology. Thus none of the experiments could showcase the bubble morphology of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states. Meanwhile, a significant discrepancy still remained in between the bubble theories and the experiments. Even though the bubble theories predict the proliferation of bubble phases with increasing orbital index, none of the experiments could observe multiple reentrant integer quantum Hall states in a high Landau level, which signify the multiple bubble formation. Therefore, the proliferation of bubble phases with increasing Landau level index was pessimistic. </div><div><br></div><div>In this Dissertation, I present my research on solving this discrepancy. In chapter 4, we performed a magnetotransport measurement of reentrant integer quantum Hall states in the third and higher Landau levels at various different temperatures. Then, we scrutinized how each of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states develops with the gradual increase of the temperature. As a result, we observed multiple reentrant integer quantum Hall states in the fourth Landau level which are associated with the two- and three-electron bubble phases. This result strongly supports the bubble phase picture of the reentrant integer quantum Hall states by confirming the possibility of the proliferation of bubble phases in high Landau levels.</div><div><br></div><div>In chapter 5, I analyzed the energetics of newly resolved two- and three-electron bubble phases in the fourth Landau level as well as those of two-electron bubble phases in the third Landau level. Here, I first found, in the fourth Landau level, the three-electron bubbles are more stable than the two-electron bubbles indicating that the multi-electron bubbles with higher electron number are more stable within a Landau level. Secondly, I found distinct energetic features of two- and three-electron bubble phases which are independent of Landau level index throughout the third and the fourth Landau levels. These results highlight the effect of the number of electrons per bubble on the energetics of multi-electron bubble phases and are expected to contribute on improving the existing Hartree-Fock theories.</div>

Our everyday experiences teach us that any imbalance like temperature gradients, non-uniform particle-densities etc. will approach some equilibrium state if not subjected to any external force. Phenomenological descriptions of these empirical findings reach back to the 19th century where Fourier and Fick presented descriptions of relaxation for macroscopic systems by stochastic approaches. However, one of the main goals of thermodynamics remained the derivation of these phenomenological description from basic microscopic principles. This task has gained much attraction since the foundation of quantum mechanics about 100 years ago. However, up to now no such conclusive derivation is presented. In this dissertation we will investigate whether closed quantum systems may show equilibration, and if so, to what extend such dynamics are in accordance with standard thermodynamic behavior as described by stochastic approaches. To this end we consider i.a. Markovian dynamics, Fokker-Planck and diffusion equations. Furthermore, we consider fluctuation theorems as given e.g. by the Jarzynski relation beyond strict Gibbsian initial states. After all we find indeed good agreement for selected quantum systems.

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Une étude expérimentale de gaz d'électrons bidimensionnel confinés dans des puits quantiques de CdTe et de CdMnTe est présentée. L'analyse de données est soutenue par des calculs numériques de la structure de bande des états confinés, utilisant l'approximation de densité locale et de fonction enveloppe. Un calcul de type k.p a été utilisé pour justifier l'approximation parabolique appliquée pour les bandes valence. Les échantillons ont été caractérisés par spectroscopie Raman et par spectroscopie d'absorption de la résonance cyclotron infrarouge. Le magnéto-transport à bas champ est dominé par la contribution semi-classique de Drude et révèle trois contributions plus faibles, qui sont la localisation faible, l'interaction électron-électron et les oscillations Shubnikov-De Haas. La contribution des interactions électron-électron est expliquée dans un modèle semi-classique à trajectoire circulaire. La forme des niveaux de Landau, leurs élargissement, les temps de vie transport et quantique de la diffusion et le mécanisme (long-portée) de la diffusion dominant ont été déterminés. Le magnéto-transport sous champs magnétiques intenses révèle la présence d'états Hall quantique fractionnaires dans les niveaux de Landau N=0 et N=1. Nous avons montré, que les états 5/3 et 4/3 étaient complètement polarisés en spin, en accord avec l'approche des fermions composites pour l'effet Hall quantique fractionnaire. La forme de la photoluminescence à champ magnétique nul et son évolution avec la température sont décrites par un modèle analytique simple. La dépendance en champ magnétique et en température de la photoluminescence indique que le gap de spin est amplifié dans les niveaux de landau entièrement occupés. Ces effets multi-corps de l'amplification du gap du spin ont été décrits avec succès par un modèle numérique simple. L'intensité de la photoluminescence a mise en évidence l'importance des processus non-radiatifs pendant la recombinaison, la dégénérescence des niveaux de Landau, leur taux d'occupation, les règles de sélection et l'influence de l'écrantage. Le mécanisme de la relaxation parallèle de spin d'électron et de trou a été identifié et attribué au mécanisme Bir-Aharonov-Pikus, assistée par les phonons acoustiques. Les spectres de photoluminescence d'excitation reflètent la densité des états caractéristique des systèmes bidimensionnels. Les résonances excitoniques, qui sont observées aux bords des sous-bandes électriques inoccupées, illustrent l'importance de l'écrantage et des champs électriques intrinsèques dans les puits asymétriquement dopés. / Experimental studies of two-dimensional electron gases confined in CdTe and CdMnTe quantum wells are presented. The data analysis is supported by numerical calculations of the band structure of confined states, using the local density and envelope function approximations. Four by four, k.p calculations have been performed to justify the parabolic approximation of valence bands. Samples were characterized by Raman scattering spectroscopy and far infrared cyclotron resonance absorption measurements. Low-field magneto-transport shows the dominant contribution of the semi-classical Drude conductivity and ten times weaker contributions of weak localization, electron-electron interaction and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. The contribution of electron-electron interactions is explained within a semi-classical model of circling electrons. The shape of Landau levels, broadening, transport and quantum lifetimes and dominant long-range scattering mechanism have been determined. High-field magneto-transport displays fractional quantum Hall states at Landau levels N=0 and N=1. The ground states 5/3 and 4/3 have been determined to be fully spin polarized, in agreement with the approach of composite fermions for the fractional quantum Hall effect. The form of the photoluminescence at zero magnetic field and its evolution with temperature have been described by simple analytical model. Magnetic field and temperature dependence of the photoluminescence has been found to display the enhanced spin splitting of fully occupied Landau levels. This many body enhanced spin gap has been successfully described by a numerical model. The intensity of the photoluminescence demonstrated the importance of the non-radiative recombination channel, degeneracy of Landau levels, their occupation, selection rules and screening. The mechanism of the simultaneous electron and hole spin-flip was recognized and attributed to the longitudinal acoustical phonon assisted Bir-Aharonov-Pikus spin relaxation mechanism. Photoluminescence excitation spectra embody the characteristic density of states of two-dimensional systems. The excitonic resonances, which are observed at the edges of unoccupied electric subbands, illustrate the importance of screening and internal electric fields in asymmetrically doped quantum wells.

Modulation doped heterostructures have revolutionized the operation of field effect devices by increasing the speed of operation. One of the factors that affects the speed of operation of these devices is the mobility of the carriers, which is intrinsic to the material used. Mobility of electrons in silicon based devices has improved drastically over the years, reaching as high as 50.000cm2/Vs at 4.2K and 2600cm2/Vs at room temperature. However, the mobility of holes in p-type silicon devices still remains comparatively lesser than the electron mobility because of large effective masses and complicated valence band structure involved. Germanium is known to have the largest hole mobility of all the known semiconductors and is considered most suitable to fabricate high speed p-type devices. Moreover, it is also possible to integrate germanium and its alloy (Si1_zGex ) into the existing silicon technology. With the use of sophisticated growth techniques it has been possible to grow epitaxial layers of silicon and germanium on Si1_zGex alloy layers grown on silicon substrates. In tills thesis we investigate in detail the electrical properties of p-type germanium and n-type silicon thin films grown by these techniques. It is important to do a comparative study of transport in these two systems not only to understand the physics involved but also to study their compatibility in complementary field effect devices (cMODFET). The studies reported in this thesis lay emphasis both on the low and high field transport properties of these systems. We report experimental data for the maximum room temperature mobility of holes achieved m germanium thin films grown on Si1_zGex layers that is comparable to the mobility of electrons in silicon films. We also report experiments performed to study the high field degradation of carrier mobility due to "carrier heating" in these systems. We also report studies on the effect of lattice heating on mobility of carriers as a function of applied electric field. To understand the physics behind the observed phenomenon, we model our data based on the existing theories for low and high field transport. We report complete numerical calculations based on these theories to explain the observed qualitative difference in the transport properties of p-type germanium and ii-type silicon systems. The consistency between the experimental data and theoretical modeling reported in this work is very satisfactory.

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KurHigh mobility two-dimensional electron gas in CdTe quantum wells: High magnetic field studies Experimental studies of two-dimensional electron gases confined in CdTe and CdMnTe quantum wells are presented. The data analysis is supported by numerical calcula- tions of the band structure of confined states, using the local density and envelope func- tion approximations. Four by four, k.p calculations have been performed to justify the parabolic approximation of valence bands. Samples were characterized by Raman scatter- ing spectroscopy and far infrared cyclotron resonance absorption measurements. Low-field magneto-transport shows the dominant contribution of the semi-classical Drude conduc- tivity and three orders of magnitude weaker contributions of weak localization, electron- electron interaction and Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. The contribution of electron- electron interactions is explained within a semi-classical model of circling electrons. The shape of Landau levels, broadening, transport and quantum lifetimes and dominant long- range scattering mechanism have been determined. High-field magneto-transport displays fractional quantum Hall states at Landau levels N = 0 and N = 1. The ground states 5/3 and 4/3 have been determined to be fully spin polarized, in agreement with the approach of composite...