Evolution of the quantum Hall bulk spectrum into chiral edge states.

ABSTRACT

One of the most intriguing and fundamental properties of topological systems is the correspondence between the conducting edge states and the gapped bulk spectrum. Here, we use a GaAs cleaved edge quantum wire to perform momentum-resolved spectroscopy of the quantum Hall edge states in a tunnel-coupled 2D electron gas. This reveals the momentum and position of the edge states with unprecedented precision and shows the evolution from very low magnetic fields all the way to high fields where depopulation occurs. We present consistent analytical and numerical models, inferring the edge states from the well-known bulk spectrum, finding excellent agreement with the experiment-thus providing direct evidence for the bulk to edge correspondence. In addition, we observe various features beyond the single-particle picture, such as Fermi level pinning, exchange-enhanced spin splitting and signatures of edge-state reconstruction.