A heuristic quantum theory of the integer quantum Hall effect

Abstract

Contrary to common belief, the current emitted by a contact embedded in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) is quantized in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. This observation suggests a simple, clearly defined model for the quantum current through a Hall device that does not invoke disorder or interactions as the cause of the integer quantum Hall effect (QHE), but is based on a proper quantization of the classical electron drift motion. The theory yields a quantitative description of the breakdown of the QHE at high current densities that is in agreement with experimental data. Furthermore, several of its key points are in line with recent findings of experiments that address the dependency of the QHE on the 2DEG bias voltage, results that are not easily explained within the framework of conventional QHE models.

20 pages, 6 figures

References in corpus (4)

• The microscopic nature of localization in the quantum Hall effect
• Quantum Hall fluctuations and evidence for charging in the quantum Hall effect
• Localization in the quantum Hall regime
• Electron propagation in crossed magnetic and electric fields

Cited by in corpus (7)

• Realistic modelling of quantum point contacts subject to high magnetic fields and with current bias at out of linear response regime
• Probing semiclassical magneto-oscillations in the low-field quantum Hall effect
• From semiclassical transport to quantum Hall effect under low-field Landau quantization
• Probing Landau quantisation with the presence of insulator-quantum Hall transition in a GaAs two-dimensional electron system
• Probing temperature-driven flow lines in a gated two-dimensional electron gas with tunable spin-splitting
• Boundary conditions for the quantum Hall effect
• Distribution of an Ohmic current in the close vicinity of a quantum point contact