Three-dimensional disordered conductors in a strong magnetic field: surface states and quantum Hall plateaus

We study localization in layered, three-dimensional conductors in strong magnetic fields. We demonstrate the existence of three phases - insulator, metal and quantized Hall conductor - in the two-dimensional parameter space obtained by varying the Fermi energy and the interlayer coupling strength. T...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Chalker, J, Dohmen, A
Format: Journal article
Published: 1995
Description
Summary:We study localization in layered, three-dimensional conductors in strong magnetic fields. We demonstrate the existence of three phases - insulator, metal and quantized Hall conductor - in the two-dimensional parameter space obtained by varying the Fermi energy and the interlayer coupling strength. Transport in the quantized Hall conductor occurs via extended surface states. These surface states constitute a subsystem at a novel critical point, which we describe using a new, directed network model.