EDGE AND BULK ELECTRON-STATES IN A QUASI-ONE-DIMENSIONAL METAL IN A MAGNETIC-FIELD - THE SEMIINFINITE WANNIER-STARK LADDER

We study edge and bulk open-orbit electron states in a quasi-one-dimen sional (Q1D) metal subject to a magnetic field. For both types of stat es, the energy/spectrum near the Fermi energy consists of two terms. O ne term has a continuous dependence on the momentum along the chains, whereas the other term is quantized discretely. The discrete energy sp ectrum is mathematically equivalent to the Wannier-Stark energy ladder of a semi-infinite 1D lattice in an effective electric held. We solve the latter problem analytically in the semiclassical approximation an d by numerical diagonalization. We show explicitly that equilibrium el ectric currents vanish both at the edges and in the bulk, so no orbita l magnetization is expected in a QID metal in a magnetic field. [S0163 -1829(98)10435-6].