Electron Spectral Functions of Reconstructed Quantum Hall Edges

TL;DR

This paper calculates the electron spectral functions of reconstructed quantum Hall edges, revealing distinct features caused by additional excitation modes that can be used to detect edge reconstruction.

Contribution

It applies a theoretical framework to analyze how edge reconstruction affects electron spectral functions and tunneling characteristics in quantum Hall systems.

Findings

Additional excitation modes emerge after edge reconstruction.

Distinct features appear in the spectral function due to these modes.

Edge reconstruction can be detected through momentum-resolved tunneling experiments.

Abstract

During the reconstruction of the edge of a quantum Hall liquid, Coulomb interaction energy is lowered through the change in the structure of the edge. We use theory developed earlier by one of the authors [K. Yang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 036802 (2003)] to calculate the electron spectral functions of a reconstructed edge, and study the consequences of the edge reconstruction for the momentum-resolved tunneling into the edge. It is found that additional excitation modes that appear after the reconstruction produce distinct features in the energy and momentum dependence of the spectral function, which can be used to detect the presence of edge reconstruction.