Specific Plateaus of the Quantum Hall Effect Induced by an Applied Bias

Abstract

The spectrum and the eigenstates of a finite 2D tight-binding electronic system, with Dirichlet boundary conditions, in magnetic field and external linear potential are studied. The eigenstates show an equipotential character and may cross the plaquette in the direction perpendicular to the electric field. When leads are added to the plaquette, the channels carrying the current may be shortcut by equipotentials, resulting in additional plateaus situated inbetween the usual IQHE plateaus. This idea is confirmed by a numerical calculation within the four-terminal Landauer-B\"{u}ttiker approach.