Scribd
Upload
26 views10 pages

Lecture Notes Solid State Physics 5

Lecture Notes Solid State Physics 5

Uploaded by

SOURAV KUMAR PATEL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
26 views10 pages

Lecture Notes Solid State Physics 5

Lecture Notes Solid State Physics 5

Uploaded by

SOURAV KUMAR PATEL
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 10

PYL 102

Monday, Sept. 30, 2024


Quantum Hall effect
The qunatum Hall effect

❑ When an electric current passes


through a metal strip with a
perpendicular magnetic field, the
electrons are deflected towards one
edge and a potential difference is
created across the strip. This
phenomenon is termed the Hall Effect.

Hall coefficient RH = Ey / BzJx = 1/ne. The magnitude and sign of RH allow


determination of the free carrier density and type of the majority carrier.

Experimentally the electric field along the sample is determined by measuring Vx.
This allows two resistivities to be defined xx = Ex / Jx and xy = Ey / Jx. xy
increases linearly with increasing magnetic field while xx remains constant.
However, for 2D system, xy increases with magnetic field in a step-like manner,
in addition xx oscillates between 0 and non-zero values with 0’s fields here xy
forms plateau. This surprising behavior is known as quantum Hall effect.
 xx ,  xy
 xy

 xx

B “Hall effect” – depends only on B and n,


 xy = can be used to measure n
ne
m
 xx = Resistivity in 2D does not depend on B
ne2
Observed QHE in 2DEG GaAs-AlGaAs heterojunction at temperature of 60mK
(Ref: Plaanen et al. Phys. Rev. B 25, 5566 (1982)).
 xx ,  xy
 xy

 xx

At higher magnetic fields, strong deviations from semi-classical expectation


At high magnetic field B, the electronic density of states becomes a set of discrete
Landau levels due to the confinement produced by the field. The following diagram
shows the Fermi circle in two dimensional k-space, with a series of Landau levels
inside it.

If a magnetic field is applied perpendicular to the plane of 2DEG the e trajectories


will be a set of circles around the lines of field.
❑ In a strong magnetic field the energy of the electron is  =  n + 
1
n c
quantized (Landau levels).  2 
❑ These discrete energy values are given by n = 0,1,2,…
eB
Where  c = is the Cyclotron frequency
m
Each level is highly degenerate due to independence of energy on kx
Diagram of a cyclotron orbit of a particle with speed v,
which is the classical trajectory of a charged particle (here
positive charge) under a uniform magnetic field B.

Ey
RH = Ey / BzJx = 1/ne vx =
Bz
eB How much is the degeneracy of Landau levels?
n h = m v rc c = = v/rc
m
eB
Let Φ = BA is the magnetic flux through the system jx = −nev x n= degeneracy of Landau level
Flux will be quantized, Φ = nΦ0 where Φ0 = h/e is the
h
fundamental magnetic flux quantum e2
jx = E y Quantum Hall effect
h
ℎ
xy = Ey / Jx 𝜌𝑥𝑦 = 2
𝑒
In the absence of magnetic field the density of states in 2D is constant as a function
of energy, but in field the available states clump into Landau levels separated by the
cyclotron energy, with regions of energy between the LLs where there are no
allowed states.

As the magnetic field is swept the LLs move relative to Fermi energy.
When the Fermi energy lies in a gap between LLs electrons can not move to new
states and so there is no scattering.
Thus the transport is dissipation less and the resistance falls to zero.
❑ When the Fermi energy is in a gap, i.e. between the fields (a) and
(b) in the diagram, Hall resistance cannot change from the quantized
value for the whole time, and so a plateau results.
If the Fermi energy in the Landau level, i.e. the field (c) is reached
in the diagram, it is possible to change the voltage and a finite value
of resistance will be appeared. In this situation the step like behavior
of the Hall conductivity is observed.

The effects of Landau levels may only be observed when the mean thermal
energy kT is smaller than the energy level separation, kT ≪ ħωc, meaning low
temperatures and strong magnetic fields.
• Confining potential pushes up Landau levels at edges of sample

• Edges are metallic – charge can move in/out

• 1D edge states carry current in E x B direction

The number of electrons at one edge can increase, because


electrons are being depleted from the other edge. In quantum
hall effect the current transport is through edge states.

Same as classical result for electron in crossed E, B fields:


v

B = B zz E = Eyy

You might also like