Equilibrium Current and Orbital Magnetization in a Quantum Hall Fluid

Abstract

We present a general theory for the equilibrium current distribution in an interacting two-dimensional electron gas subjected to a perpendicular magnetic field, and confined by a potential that varies slowly on the scale of the magnetic length. The distribution is found to consist of strips or channels of current, which alternate in direction, and which have universal integrated strength.Comment: 13 pages, Revtex, to appear in the proceedings of the "Workshop on Novel Physics in Low-Dimensional Electron Systems" held in Madra