Textured Edges in Quantum Hall Systems

TL;DR

This paper explores how spin textures form at the edges of quantum Hall systems under various conditions, revealing different behaviors depending on the filling factor and confinement strength.

Contribution

It provides new insights into edge spin textures in quantum Hall systems, especially for fractional fillings like 1/3 and 1/5, and discusses their experimental implications.

Findings

Edges develop spin textures at certain filling factors

Edge polarization persists at $ u=3$ despite reconstruction

Mode structures of reconstructed edges are analyzed

Abstract

We have investigated the formation of spin textures at the edges of quantum Hall systems for several ferromagnetic filling factors. The textures are driven by the same physics that leads to ``skyrmions'' in the bulk. For hard confinement and large Zeeman energies, the edges are narrow and spin polarized. Away from this limit and for $\nu=1/3$, $1/5$ and $1$, we find that they widen by developing spin textures. In contrast, for $\nu=3$, the edge remains spin polarized, even as it reconstructs. We comment on the mode structure of the reconstructed edges and on possible experimental signatures.