Hydrodynamics of the quantum Hall smectics

TL;DR

This paper develops a dynamical theory for the stripe phase in a 2D electron liquid near half-integer Landau level fillings, modeling it as a smectic liquid crystal with unique magnetophonon dynamics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel dynamical framework for quantum Hall smectics, including calculations of structure factors, collective mode dispersions, and fluctuation effects.

Findings

Strong power-law renormalizations of elastic coefficients

Distinct dynamical scaling exponents from conventional smectics

Identification of magnetophonon attenuation rates

Abstract

We propose a dynamical theory of the stripe phase arising in a two-dimensional electron liquid near half-integral fillings of high Landau levels. The system is modelled as a novel type of a smectic liquid crystal with the Lorentz force dominated dynamics. We calculate the structure factor, the dispersion relation of the collective modes (magnetophonons), and their intrinsic attenuation rate. We find strong power-law renormalizations of the elastic and dissipative coefficients by thermal fluctuations familiar from the conventional smectics but with different dynamical scaling exponents.