TY - JOUR
T1 - Scaling of the critical current in the quantum Hall effect
T2 - A probe of current distribution
AU - Balaban, N. Q.
AU - Meirav, U.
AU - Shtrikman, H.
AU - Levinson, Y.
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - The critical current Ic for the breakdown of the quantum Hall effect is found to scale logarithmically with the channel width for all Landau levels. We interpret this experimental result as a manifestation of a logarithmic distribution of the Hall potential, and hence current, across the channel. A new perspective on the breakdown mechanism is obtained. In particular, inter-Landau-level transitions, previously thought to predict values of Ic much too high, are actually shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiments interpreted in this manner.
AB - The critical current Ic for the breakdown of the quantum Hall effect is found to scale logarithmically with the channel width for all Landau levels. We interpret this experimental result as a manifestation of a logarithmic distribution of the Hall potential, and hence current, across the channel. A new perspective on the breakdown mechanism is obtained. In particular, inter-Landau-level transitions, previously thought to predict values of Ic much too high, are actually shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiments interpreted in this manner.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0000682450&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.1443
DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.71.1443
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AN - SCOPUS:0000682450
SN - 0031-9007
VL - 71
SP - 1443
EP - 1446
JO - Physical Review Letters
JF - Physical Review Letters
IS - 9
ER -