Spectral Gaps of Quantum Hall Systems with Interactions

Tohru Koma

Published 1998-09-17, updated 1999-12-27Version 3

A two-dimensional quantum Hall system without disorder for a wide class of interactions including any two-body interaction with finite range is studied by using the Lieb-Schultz-Mattis method [{\it Ann. Phys. (N.Y.)} {\bf 16}: 407 (1961)]. The model is defined on an infinitely long strip with a fixed large width, and the Hilbert space is restricted to the lowest $(n_{\rm max}+1)$ Landau levels with a large integer $n_{\rm max}$. We proved that, for a non-integer filling $\nu$ of the Landau levels, either (i) there is a symmetry breaking at zero temperature or (ii) there is only one infinite-volume ground state with a gapless excitation. We also proved the following two theorems: (a) If a pure infinite-volume ground state has a non-zero excitation gap for a non-integer filling $\nu$, then a translational symmetry breaking occurs at zero temperature. (b) Suppose that there is no non-translationally invariant infinite-volume ground state. Then, if a pure infinite-volume ground state has a non-zero excitation gap, the filling factor $\nu$ must be equal to a rational number. Here the ground state is allowed to have a periodic structure which is a consequence of the translational symmetry breaking. We also discuss the relation between our results and the quantized Hall conductance, and phenomenologically explain why odd denominators of filling fractions $\nu$ giving the quantized Hall conductance, are favored exclusively.