Disorder and the quantum Hall ferromagnet

Abstract

The distinguishing feature of the quantum Hall ferromagnet is the identity between the electrical and topological charge densities of a spin distortion. In addition to the wealth of physics associated with Skyrmionic excitations of the quantum Hall ferromagnet, this identification permits a rather curious coupling of spinwaves to the disorder potential. A wavepacket of spinwaves has an associated, oscillating dipole charge distribution, due to the non-linear form of the topological density. We investigate the way in which this coupling modifies the conductivity and temperature dependence of magnetization of the quantum Hall ferromagnet.