Quantum transport through pairs of edge states of opposite chirality at electric and magnetic boundaries

Abstract

We theoretically investigate electrical transport in a two-dimensional electron system hosting bulk and edge current carrying states. Spatially varying magnetic and electric confinement creates pairs of current carrying lines that drift in the same or opposite directions depending on whether confinement is applied by a magnetic split gate or a magnetic strip gate. We study the electronic structure through calculations of the local density of states and conductivity of the channel as a function of the chirality and wave-function overlap of these states. We demonstrate a shift of the conductivity peaks to high or low magnetic field depending on the chirality of pairs of edge states and the effect of chirality on backscattering amplitude associated with collisional processes.

Locations

• Physical review. B./Physical review. B - View
• arXiv (Cornell University) - View - PDF
• Pure (University of Bath) - View - PDF
• DataCite API - View