Explanation of the tunneling phenomena between the edges of two lateral quantum Hall systems

TL;DR

This paper explains the tunneling phenomena observed between the edges of two lateral quantum Hall systems by proposing a model involving a potential well and edge channel localization, aligning with recent experimental results.

Contribution

It introduces a novel explanation for tunneling in quantum Hall systems involving quantum railroads and directed localization of edge channels.

Findings

Consistent explanation of tunneling phenomena with the potential well model

Edge channels exhibit directed localization due to disorder

Aligns theoretical model with recent experimental observations

Abstract

We identify the physics behind the results of recent measurements [W. Kang et al., Nature 403, 59 (2000)] of electron transfer between the edges of two two-dimensional electron systems (2DES). We find that a consistent explanation of all of the observed phenomena is possible if the barrier between the 2DES is surrounded by a strong potential well that supports quantum railroads of edge channels that, in the presence of disorder, exhibit directed localization.