FAILURE OF THE INTEGER QUANTUM HALL-EFFECT WITHOUT DISSIPATION

Recent integer quantum Hall effect experiments on silicon samples have shown deviations from the quantized Hall resistance despite a vanishi ng longitudinal resistance. Here we argue that single short-range elas tic scatterers at the edges can lead to observable deviations in the H all conductivity without backscattering, at the large currents typical experimentally. We do so within an approach to steady-state mesoscopi c transport which is not restricted to the linear-response regime (i.e ., to small currents).