Theory of Quantum Hall Nematics

Transport measurements on two dimensional electron systems in moderate magnetic fields suggest the existence of a spontaneously orientationally-ordered, compressible liquid state. We develop and analyze a microscopic theory of such a ``quantum Hall nematic'' (QHN) phase, predict the existence of a novel, highly anisotropic $q^3$ density-director mode, find that the T=0 long-range orientational order is unstable to weak disorder, and compute the tunneling into such a strongly correlated state. This microscopic approach is supported and complemented by a hydrodynamic model of the QHN, which, in the dissipationless limit, reproduces the modes of the microscopic model.