SFB 1238 | June 09, 14:30

Quantum-Hall physics and beyond in ZrTe5

Johannes Gooth

The discovery of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) in 1980 marked a turning point in condensed matter
physics. The measurement of the Hall conductivity of a two-dimensional electron system showed that
electrical conduction can be precisely defined only in terms of fundamental constants. But, what
happens to the QHE in three dimensions? At a first glance, the answer seems straightforward and
sobering: The quantization of the Hall conductivity gets destroyed. This has led to the general
conjecture that quantum-Hall physics is exclusive to two dimensions. However, we show that the Hall
effect of genuine three-dimensional (3D) metals is actually deeply related to the QHE and can be
understood from quantum Hall physics. We propose that - as a general rule - plateau-like features in
the Hall conductivity of 3D electron systems are precisely given by the conductance quantum, scaled
by the Fermi wave vector of the electrons along the magnetic field direction.


MPI for Chemical Physics of Solids, Dresden
Zoom (https://uni-koeln.zoom.us/j/97572764640?pwd=aGhQU0VuUkZsYm1NbnJ6emJualVCdz09)
Contact: Yoichi Ando