In samples used to maintain the US resistance standard the breakdown of the dissipationless integer quantum Hall effect occurs as a series of dissipative voltage steps. A mechanism for this type of breakdown is proposed, based on the generation of magneto-excitons when the quantum Hall fluid flows past an ionised impurity above a critical velocity. The calculated generation rate gives a voltage step height in good agreement with measurements on both electron and hole gases. We also compare this model to a hydrodynamic description of breakdown.
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0201532,
title = {A Model for the Voltage Steps in the Breakdown of the Integer Quantum Hall Effect},
author = {A. M. Martin and K. A. Benedict and F. W. Sheard and L. Eaves},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0201532},
year = {2009}
}