Resistance spikes and domain wall loops in Ising quantum Hall ferromagnets

Phys Rev Lett. 2001 Nov 19;87(21):216801. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.216801. Epub 2001 Oct 30.

Abstract

We explain the recent observation of resistance spikes and hysteretic transport properties in Ising quantum Hall ferromagnets in terms of the unique physics of their domain walls. Self-consistent RPA/Hartree-Fock theory is applied to microscopically determine properties of the ground state and domain wall excitations. In these systems domain wall loops support one-dimensional electron systems with an effective mass comparable to the bare electron mass and may carry charge. Our theory is able to account quantitatively for the experimental Ising critical temperature and to explain qualitative characteristics of the resistive hysteresis loops.