Orbital Hall effect accompanying quantum Hall effect : Landau levels cause orbital polarized edge currents

Abstract

The quantum Hall effect emerges when two-dimensional samples are subjected to strong magnetic fields at low temperatures: Topologically protected edge states cause a quantized Hall conductivity in multiples of 𝑒2/ℎ. Here we show that the quantum Hall effect is accompanied by an orbital Hall effect. Our quantum mechanical calculations fit well the semiclassical interpretation in terms of “skipping orbits.” The chiral edge states of a quantum Hall system are orbital polarized akin to a hypothetical orbital version of the quantum anomalous Hall effect in magnetic systems. The orbital Hall resistivity scales quadratically with the magnetic field, making it the dominant effect at high fields.