Metastable anisotropy orientation of nematic quantum Hall fluids

Abstract

We analyze the experimental observation of metastable anisotropy resistance orientation at half filled quantum Hall fluids by means of a model of a quantum nematic liquid in an explicit symmetry breaking potential. We interpret the observed ``rotation'' of the anisotropy axis as a process of nucleation of nematic domains and compute the nucleation rate within this model. By comparing with experiment, we are able to predict the critical radius of nematic bubbles, $R_c\sim 2.6\mu m$. Each domain contains about $10^4$ electrons.

10 pages, 8 figures, final version as will appear in PRB

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