Hallleitfähigkeit

Hallleitfähigkeit, also known as Hall conductivity, is a measure of a material's ability to conduct electric current under the influence of a magnetic field. It is a crucial concept in understanding the behavior of charge carriers in solids, particularly in the context of the Hall effect.

The Hall effect describes the phenomenon where a voltage difference, known as the Hall voltage, is generated across an electrical conductor when it is subjected to a magnetic field perpendicular to the direction of the electric current. This voltage arises from the Lorentz force acting on the moving charge carriers, which deflects them towards one side of the conductor. The Hall conductivity is directly proportional to the Hall voltage and inversely proportional to the current and magnetic field strength.

In simpler terms, Hallleitfähigkeit quantifies how easily charge carriers in a material can be moved and separated by a magnetic field, leading to the development of the Hall voltage. Materials with high Hallleitfähigkeit exhibit a significant Hall voltage even for relatively weak magnetic fields and currents. This property makes them valuable in various applications, including magnetic sensors, Hall effect sensors for detecting magnetic field strength and direction, and for characterizing the properties of semiconductors. The sign of the Hall conductivity indicates the type of charge carriers (electrons or holes) present in the material.