Isotropically conducting (hidden) quantum Hall stripe phases in a two-dimensional electron gas

Abstract

Quantum Hall stripe (QHS) phases, predicted by the Hartree-Fock theory, are manifested in GaAs-based two-dimensional electron gases as giant resistance anisotropies. Here, we predict a ``hidden'' QHS phase which exhibits \emph{isotropic} resistivity whose value, determined by the density of states of QHS, is independent of the Landau index $N$ and is inversely proportional to the Drude conductivity at zero magnetic field. At high enough $N$, this phase yields to an Ando-Unemura-Coleridge-Zawadski-Sachrajda phase in which the resistivity is proportional to $1/N$ and to the ratio of quantum and transport lifetimes. Experimental observation of this border should allow one to find the quantum relaxation time.