Dissipation and Dynamic Nonlinear Behavior in the Quantum Hall Regime

M. E. Cage; R. F. Dziuba; B. F. Field; E. R. Williams; S. M. Girvin; A. C. Gossard; D. C. Tsui; R. J. Wagner

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.51.1374

Dissipation and Dynamic Nonlinear Behavior in the Quantum Hall Regime

M. E. Cage, R. F. Dziuba, B. F. Field, E. R. Williams, S. M. Girvin, A. C. Gossard, D. C. Tsui, and R. J. Wagner

Phys. Rev. Lett. 51, 1374 – Published 10 October 1983

Abstract

Dynamic nonlinear behavior is reported at high currents in the quantum Hall regime of GaAs heterostructures, resulting from breakdown of the dissipationless current flow. It is demonstrated that this breakdown is spatially localized and transient switching is observed on microsecond time scales among a set of distinct dissipative states. A simple macroscopic picture is proposed to account for these novel phenomena.