What is a Hall Effect Electron?

A magnetic field perpendicular to current flow produces the Hall effect.

The discovery of the Hall effect antedated the discovery of the electron, but as scientific knowledge advanced, it became clear that electron movement produced this phenomenon.

Discovery

In the late 19th century, Edwin Hall sent an electric current through a gold leaf mounted on a glass plate and applied a magnetic field at right angles to the direction of the current flow. This resulted in a voltage perpendicular to the current flow and to the magnetic field. This became known as the Hall effect, according to "The New Quantum Universe" by Tony Hey and Patrick Walters.

Hall Effect Electrons

Electrons produce the Hall effect. A few of the electrons in the current flow veer to the side when the magnetic field is applied. Accordingly, the Hall effect electrons are electrons that have been displaced from the current flow.

Applications

Sensors have been developed that employ Hall effect electrons in various ways. For example, these sensors can detect imperfections and corrosion in metal pipes.

A New Discovery

Klaus von Klitzing discovered that at temperatures approaching absolute zero, a uniformly increasing magnetic field strength would produce a Hall effect that increases not uniformly, but in discrete jumps. This is called the quantum Hall effect, according to Klaus von Klitzing.

References

• "The New Quantum Universe"; Tony Hey and Patrick Walters; 2003
• Katholieke Universiteit Leuven: Microscopic Hall Sensors for Magnetometry and Local Magnetic Imaging
• Physorg: When Old Is New Again: Hall Effect...
• Research Partnership to Secure Energy for America: Magnetic Flux Leakage Robotic Pipe Inspection ...
• Seminaire Poincare: 25 Years of Quantum Hall Effect (QHE) A Personal View on the Discovery ...

Resources

• Stanford Mechanical Engineering: Anomalous Electron Transport in the Hall Effect Thruster