Vortex states of a disordered quantum Hall bilayer

Abstract

We present and solve a model for the vortex configuration of a disordered quantum Hall bilayer in the limit of strong and smooth disorder. We argue that there is a characteristic disorder strength below which vortices will be rare, and above which they proliferate. We predict that this can be observed tuning the electron density in a given sample. The ground state in the strong-disorder regime can be understood as an emulsion of vortex-antivortex crystals. Its signatures include a suppression of the spatial decay of counterflow currents. We find an increase of at least an order of magnitude in the length scale for this decay compared to a clean system. This provides a possible explanation of the apparent absence of leakage of counterflow currents through interlayer tunneling, even in experiments performed deep in the coherent phase where enhanced interlayer tunneling is observed.

5 pages, 3 figures. v2 slightly extended to emphasize new length scale

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Cited by in corpus (14)

• Interplay of exciton condensation and quantum spin Hall effect in InAs/GaSb bilayers
• Interlayer tunneling in counterflow experiments on the excitonic condensate in quantum Hall bilayers
• Quantitative description of Josephson-like tunneling in ${\nu }_T=1$ quantum Hall bilayers
• Critical Tunneling Currents in Quantum Hall Superfluids: Pseudospin-Transfer Torque Theory
• Tunneling at ${\nu }_T=1$ in Quantum Hall Bilayers
• Critical currents and self organization in quantum Hall bilayers
• Breakdown of counterflow superfluidity in a disordered quantum Hall bilayer
• Influence of topological excitations on Shapiro steps and microwave dynamical conductance in bilayer exciton condensates
• Bilayer Quantum Hall Ferromagnet in a Periodic Potential
• Transport properties of ν=1 quantum Hall bilayers. Phenomenological description
• Diamagnetism and flux creep in bilayer exciton superfluids
• Effect of disorder and electron-phonon interaction on interlayer tunnelling current in quantum Hall bilayer
• Electron-hole pairing in topological insulator heterostructures in the quantum Hall state
• Role of the compensating current in the weak Josphson coupling regime: An extended study on excitonic Josephson junctions