Third-order nonlinear Hall effect in a quantum Hall system

Abstract

In two-dimensional systems, perpendicular magnetic fields can induce a bulk band gap and chiral edge states, which gives rise to the quantum Hall effect. The quantum Hall effect is characterized by zero longitudinal resistance (Rxx) and Hall resistance (Rxy) plateaus quantized to h/(υe2) in the linear response regime, where υ is the Landau level filling factor, e is the elementary charge and h is Planck’s constant. Here we explore the nonlinear response of monolayer graphene when tuned to a quantum Hall state. We observe a third-order Hall effect that exhibits a nonzero voltage plateau scaling cubically with the probe current. By contrast, the third-order longitudinal voltage remains zero. The magnitude of the third-order response is insensitive to variations in magnetic field (down to ~5 T) and in temperature (up to ~60 K). Moreover, the third-order response emerges in graphene devices with a variety of geometries, different substrates and stacking configurations. We term the effect third-order nonlinear response of the quantum Hall state and propose that electron–electron interaction between the quantum Hall edge states is the origin of the nonlinear response of the quantum Hall state. Monolayer graphene in the quantum Hall regime exhibits a third-order nonlinear Hall response, which is robust against variations in magnetic field and temperature and provides insights into the interaction of chiral edge states.