Sign Reversal of the Quantum Hall Effect and Helicoidal Magnetic-field-induced Spin-density Waves in Organic Conductors

Within the framework of the quantized nesting model, we study the effect of umklapp scattering on the magnetic-field-induced spin-density-wave (SDW) phases which are experimentally observed in the quasi-one-dimensional organic conductors (TMTSF)2X. We discuss the conditions under which umklapp processes may explain the sign reversals (Ribault anomaly) of the quantum Hall effect (QHE) observed in these conductors. We find that the ‘Ribault phase’ is characterized by the coexistence of two SDWs with comparable amplitudes. This gives rise to additional long wavelength collective modes besides the Goldstone modes due to spontaneous translation and rotation symmetry breaking. These modes strongly affect the optical conductivity. We also show that the Ribault phase may become helicoidal (i.e with circularly polarized SDWs) if the strength of umklapp processes is sufficiently strong. The QHE vanishes in the helicoidal phases, but a magnetoelectric effect appears.