The Quantized Hall Effect

Abstract

Quantization of the Hall effect is one of the most surprising discoveries in recent experimental solid-state research. At low temperatures and high magnetic fields the ratio of the Hall voltage to the electric current in a two-dimensional system is quantized in units of h/e², where h is Planck's constant and e is the electronic charge. Concomitantly, the electrical resistance of the specimen drops to values far below the resistances of the best normal metals.