Dynamical Conductivity of Disordered Quantum Hall Stripes

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical framework to analyze the finite-frequency conductivities of disordered quantum Hall stripes near half filling, revealing a quantum depinning transition characterized by resonant peaks in conductivity.

Contribution

The paper introduces a comprehensive elastic theory combined with replica symmetry breaking to describe quantum Hall stripe conductivities and depinning transitions.

Findings

Identifies a quantum depinning transition at a critical filling factor.

Shows resonant peaks in conductivity shift to zero frequency near the transition.

Describes a partial RSB state with free sliding along stripes.

Abstract

We present a detailed theory for finite-frequency conductivities Re$[\sigma_{\alpha\beta}(\omega)]$ of quantum Hall stripes, which form at Landau level $N\geq 2$ close to half filling, in the presence of weak Gaussian disorder. We use an effective elastic theory to describe the low-energy dynamics of the stripes with the dynamical matrix being determined through matching the density-density correlation function obtained in the microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock approximation. We then apply replicas and the Gaussian variational method to deal with the disorder. Within this method, a set of saddle point equations for the retarded self energies are obtained, which are solved numerically to get Re$[\sigma_{\alpha\beta}(\omega)]$. We find a quantum depinning transition as $\Delta\nu$, the fractional part of the filling factor, approaches a critical value $\Delta\nu_c$ from below. For $\Delta\nu<\Delta\nu_c$, the pinned state is realized in a replica symmetry breaking (RSB) solution, and the frequency-dependent conductivities in both the directions perpendicular and parallel to the stripes show resonant peaks. These peaks shift to zero frequency as $\Delta\nu\to \Delta\nu_c$. For $\Delta\nu\ge\Delta \nu_c$, we find a partial RSB (PRSB) solution in which there is RSB perpendicular to the stripes, but replica symmetry along the stripes, leading to free sliding along the stripe direction. The quantum depinning transition is in the Kosterlitz-Thouless universality class. The result is consistent with a previous renormalization group analysis.