Localization structure of electronic states in the quantum Hall effect

TL;DR

This paper introduces a magnetic localization landscape (MLL) approach to analyze electronic state localization in the integer quantum Hall effect, providing a new framework that captures quantum confinement and predicts eigenstate energies in disordered systems.

Contribution

The study develops a modified landscape function incorporating magnetic effects, extending landscape theory to magnetic systems and improving understanding of localization in quantum Hall regimes.

Findings

MLL effectively predicts localization regions and eigenstate energies.

States localize around minima of the effective potential below a critical energy.

The approach bridges semiclassical and full quantum models in disordered magnetic systems.

Abstract

We investigate the localization of electronic states in the integer quantum Hall effect using a magnetic localization landscape (MLL) approach. By studying a continuum Schr\"odinger model with disordered electrostatic potential, we demonstrate that the MLL, defined via a modified landscape function incorporating magnetic effects, captures key features of quantum state localization. The MLL effective potential reveals the spatial confinement regions and provides predictions of eigenstate energies, particularly in regimes where traditional semiclassical approximations break down. Numerical simulations show that below a critical energy, states localize around minima of the effective potential, while above it, they cluster around maxima-with edge effects becoming significant near boundaries. Bridging the gap between semiclassical intuition and full quantum models, the MLL offers a robust framework to understand transport and localization in disordered quantum Hall systems, and extends the applicability of landscape theory to magnetic systems.