EDGE CHANNELS FOR THE FRACTIONAL QUANTUM HALL-EFFECT

The concept of edge channels is extended from the integer to the fractional quantum Hall effect, and the contribution of an adiabatically transmitted edge channel to the conductance is calculated. The resulting generalized Landauer formula explains the recent observation by Kouwenhoven et al. of fractional quantization of the Hall conductance at a value unrelated to the bulk properties of the sample. © 1990 The American Physical Society.