Low-frequency conductivity of a nondegenerate two-dimensional electron liquid in strong magnetic fields

Abstract

We study the conductivity of a nondegenerate 2D electron liquid in a quantizing magnetic field for frequencies well below the cyclotron frequency. The conductivity is formed by electron transitions in which the energy of a photon goes to the interaction energy of the many-electron system, whereas the involved momentum is transferred to quenched disorder. The conductivity peak is non-Lorentzian. Its shape depends on the relation between the correlation length r_c of the disorder potential and the typical amplitude delta_f of vibrations of the electrons about their quasi-equilibrium positions in the liquid. The width of the peak is determined by the reciprocal time it takes an electron to move over r_c (or the magnetic length l, for r_c< l). In turn, this time is determined by vibrational or diffusive motion, depending on the ratio r_c/delta_f. We analyze the tail of the conductivity peak for short-range disorder. It is formed by multiple collisions with the disorder potential. We also analyze scattering by rare negatively charged traps and show that the conductivity spectrum in this case depends on both short- and long-time electron dynamics.