We discuss the mechanism of anomalous Hall effect related to the contribution of electron states below the Fermi surface (induced by the Berry phase in momentum space). Our main calculations are made within a model of two-dimensional electron gas with spin-orbit interaction of the Rashba type, taking into account the scattering from impurities. We demonstrate that such an “intrinsic” mechanism can dominate but there is a competition with the impurity-scattering mechanism, related to the contribution of states in the vicinity of the Fermi surface. We also show that the contribution to the Hall conductivity from electron states close to the Fermi surface has the intrinsic properties as well.

• Received 18 February 2005

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.71.224423