Current-induced asymmetries of incompressible stripes in narrow quantum Hall systems

We present recent experimental results confirming previously predicted strong asymmetries of the current distribution in narrow Hall bars under the conditions of the integer quantum Hall effect (IQHE). Using a previously developed self-consistent screening and transport theory of the IQHE, we investigate how these asymmetries, which are due to a non-linear feedback effect of the imposed current on the electron distribution in the sample, depend on relevant parameters, such as the strength of the imposed current, the magnetic field, the temperature, and the collision broadening of the Landau-quantized energy bands. We find that many aspects of the experimental results can be understood within this approach, whereas other aspects require explicit consideration of mechanism, which enforce the breakdown of the IQHE.