The Quantum Hall Transition in Real Space: From Localized to Extended States

Abstract

Using scanning tunneling spectroscopy in ultra-high vacuum at low temperature (T = 0.3 K) and high magnetic fields (B < 12 T), we directly probe electronic wave functions across an integer quantum Hall transition. In accordance with theoretical predictions, we observe the evolution from localized drift states in the insulating phases to branched extended drift states at the quantum critical point. The observed microscopic behavior close to the extended state indicates points of localized quantum tunneling, which are considered to be decisive for a quantitative description of the transition.

4 pages, 3 figures, shortened content

References in corpus (3)

• Anderson Transitions
• Compressibility stripes for mesoscopic quantum Hall samples
• Quantum phase transitions in two-dimensional systems

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Multifractal analysis with the probability density function at the three-dimensional Anderson transition
• Local density of states in disordered two-dimensional electron gases at high magnetic field
• Optimisation of multifractal analysis using box-size scaling
• Electron quantum dynamics in closed and open potentials at high magnetic fields: Quantization and lifetime effects unified by semicoherent states