English

Spin instabilities and quantum phase transitions in integral and fractional quantum Hall states

Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics 2009-11-07 v1

Abstract

The inter-Landau-level spin excitations of quantum Hall states at filling factors nu=2 and 4/3 are investigated by exact numerical diagonalization for the situation in which the cyclotron (hbar*omega_c) and Zeeman (E_Z) splittings are comparable. The relevant quasiparticles and their interactions are studied, including stable spin wave and skyrmion bound states. For nu=2, a spin instability at a finite value of epsilon=hbar*omega_c-E_Z leads to an abrupt paramagnetic to ferromagnetic transition, in agreement with the mean-field approximation. However, for nu=4/3 a new and unexpected quantum phase transition is found which involves a gradual change from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic occupancy of the partially filled Landau level as epsilon is decreased.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.cond-mat/0111532,
  title  = {Spin instabilities and quantum phase transitions in integral and fractional quantum Hall states},
  author = {Arkadiusz Wojs and John J. Quinn},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/0111532},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

4 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys.Rev.Lett