Theoretical Physics Colloquium
The dynamics of integer quantum Hall edge states far from equilibrium
by Prof. John Chalker (Oxford University)
Monday, February 13, 2012
from
to
(Asia/Kolkata)
at Colaba Campus ( AG80 )
at Colaba Campus ( AG80 )
Description |
Interference effects involving electrons in vacuum have played an important part in the development of quantum physics, from the observation of electron diffraction by Davison and Germer in 1927 to the demonstration of the Aharonov-Bohm effect by Chambers in 1960. Interference effects involving electrons in solids take a central place in some areas of condensed matter physics, but are generally more delicate to observe than in vacuum, because they may be obscured by scattering from impurities, phonons or other electrons. Quantum Hall edge states provide an exception to this general rule, being almost ideal waveguides for electrons in a semiconductor. The properties of quantum Hall edge states have been investigated in a series of experiments of increasing sophistication over the past two decades. In particular, recent experiments probe coherence and many-body dynamics far from thermal equilibrium. I will review some of these experiments and describe the theoretical ideas which have been developed to understand them. |
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