Composite-fermion edge states, fractional charge, and current noise

Abstract

A composite fermion edge state theory of current fluctuations, fractional quasiparticle charge and Johnson-Nyquist noise in the fractional quantum Hall regime is presented. It is shown that composite fermion current fluctuations and the charges of the associated quasiparticles are strongly renormalized by the interactions between composite fermions. The important interaction is that mediated by the fictitious electric field associated with composite fermion currents. The dressed current fluctuations and quasiparticle charges are calculated self-consistently in a mean field theory for smooth edges. Analytic results are obtained. The values of the fractional quasiparticle charges obtained agree with the predictions of previous theories in the incompressible regions of the 2DEG where those theories apply. In the compressible regions the magnitudes of the quasiparticle charges vary with position. Since Johnson-Nyquist noise arises from the compressible regions, it is due to quasiparticles whose charges differ from the simple fractions of $e$ that apply in the incompressible regions. Never the less, the Nyquist noise formula $S=4{k_B}T G$ is obeyed on fractional quantum Hall plateaus. Some implications for the interpretation of recent shot noise measurements in the fractional quantum Hall regime are briefly discussed.