Correlated electron states at level crossings of bilayer two-dimensional electron systems in tilted magnetic fields

We have measured the energy-level structure of high mobility, strongly coupled bilayer two-dimensional electron systems in tilted magnetic fields by means of magnetotransport experiments. At tilt angles where single-particle levels with opposite spin and symmetry cross, we observe a surprising sudden broadening of the quantum Hall plateaus and a deepening of the Shubnikov-de Haas minima. This observation is explained by an interaction-induced rearrangement of the energy level structure which strongly increases the energetic splitting of two (anti-)crossing levels. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.