Persistent currents and magnetization in two-dimensional magnetic quantum systems

Persistent currents and magnetization are considered for a two-dimensional electron (or gas of electrons) coupled to various magnetic fields. Thermodynamic formulae for the magnetization and the persistent current are established and the "classical" relationship between current and magnetization is shown to hold for systems invariant both by translation and rotation. Applications are given, including the point vortex superposed onto an homogeneous magnetic field, the quantum Hall geometry (an electric field and an homogeneous magnetic field) and the random magnetic impurity problem (a random distribution of point vortices). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.