Influence of quantum Hall effect on linear and nonlinear conductivity in the FISDW states of the organic conductor (TMTSF) ₂PF ₆

Abstract:

We report a detailed characterization of quantum Hall effect (QHE) influence on the linear and non-linear resistivity tensor in FISDW phases of the organic conductor (TMTSF)₂PF₆. We show that the behavior at low electric fields, observed for nominally pure single-crystals with different values of the resistivity ratio, is fully consistent with a theoretical model, which takes QHE nature of FISDW and residual quasi-particle density associated with different crystal imperfection levels into account. The non-linearity in longitudinal and diagonal resistivity tensor components observed at large electric fields reconciles preceding contradictory results. Our theoretical model offers a qualitatively good explanation of the observed features if a sliding of the density wave with the concomitant destruction of QHE, switched on above a finite electric field, is taken into account.