In half-filled high Landau levels, two-dimensional electron systems possess
collective phases which exhibit a strongly anisotropic resistivity tensor. A
weak, but as yet unknown, rotational symmetry-breaking potential native to the
host semiconductor structure is necessary to orient these phases in macroscopic
samples. Making use of the known external symmetry-breaking effect of an
in-plane magnetic field, we find that the native potential can have two
orthogonal local minima. It is possible to initialize the system in the higher
minimum and then observe its relaxation toward equilibrium.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Figure references corrected. Version accepted for
publication in Physical Review Letter
