non-Abelian Fractional Quantum Hall Research Articles

Full Classification of Transport on an Equilibrated 5/2 Edge via Shot Noise.

The nature of the bulk topological order of the 5/2 non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall state and the steady state of its edge are long-studied questions. The most promising non-Abelian model bulk states are the Pfaffian (Pf), anti-Pffafian (APf), and particle-hole symmetric Pfaffian (PHPf). Here, we propose to employ a set of dc current-current correlations (electrical shot noise) in order to distinguish among the Pf, APf, and PHPf candidate states, as well as to determine their edge thermal equilibration regimes: full vs partial. Using other tools, measurements of GaAs platforms have already indicated consistency with the PHPf state. Our protocol, realizable with available experimental tools, is based on fully electrical measurements.

Composite Fermion Pairing Induced by Landau Level Mixing.

Pairing of composite fermions provides a possible mechanism for fractional quantum Hall effect at even denominator fractions and is believed to serve as a platform for realizing quasiparticles with non-Abelian braiding statistics. We present results from fixed-phase diffusion MonteCarlo calculations which predict that substantial Landau level mixing can induce a pairing of composite fermions at filling factors ν=1/2 and ν=1/4 in the l=-3 relative angular momentum channel, thereby destabilizing the composite-fermion Fermi seas to produce non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states.

Topological order in interacting semimetals

It has recently been demonstrated that it is possible to open a gap in a magnetic Weyl semimetal, while preserving the chiral anomaly along with the charge conservation and translational symmetries, which all protect the gapless nodes in a weakly interacting semimetal. The resulting state was shown to be a nontrivial generalization of a non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall liquid to three dimensions. Here we point out that a second fractional quantum Hall state exists in this case. This state has exactly the same electrical and thermal Hall responses as the first, but a distinct (fracton) topological order. Moreover, the existence of this second fractional quantum Hall state necessarily implies a gapless phase, which has identical topological response to a noninteracting Weyl semimetal, but is distinct from it. This may be viewed as a generalization (in a weaker form) of the known duality between a noninteracting two-dimensional Dirac fermion and ${\mathrm{QED}}_{3}$ to $3+1$ dimensions. In addition we discuss a $(3+1)$-dimensional topologically ordered state, obtained by gapping a nodal line semimetal without breaking symmetries.

Nonrelativistic supergeometry in the Moore-Read fractional quantum Hall state

The Moore-Read state is one the most well known non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states. It supports non-Abelian Ising anyons in the bulk and a chiral bosonic and chiral Majorana modes on the boundary. It has been recently conjectured that these modes are superpartners of each other and described by a supersymmetric conformal field theory [1]. We propose a non-relativistic supergeometric theory that is compatible with this picture and gives rise to an effective spin-3/2 field in the bulk. After breaking supersymmetry through a Goldstino, the spin-3/2 field becomes massive and can be seen as the neutral collective mode that characterizes the Moore-Read state. By integrating out this fermion field, we obtain a purely bosonic topological action that properly encodes the Hall conductivity, Hall viscosity and gravitational anomaly. Our work paves the way to the exploration of the fractional quantum Hall effect through non-relativistic supergeometry.

Determination of topological edge quantum numbers of fractional quantum Hall phases by thermal conductance measurements

To determine the topological quantum numbers of fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states hosting counter-propagating (CP) downstream (Nd) and upstream (Nu) edge modes, it is pivotal to study quantized transport both in the presence and absence of edge mode equilibration. While reaching the non-equilibrated regime is challenging for charge transport, we target here the thermal Hall conductance GQ, which is purely governed by edge quantum numbers Nd and Nu. Our experimental setup is realized with a hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) encapsulated graphite gated single layer graphene device. For temperatures up to 35 mK, our measured GQ at ν = 2/3 and 3/5 (with CP modes) match the quantized values of non-equilibrated regime (Nd + Nu)κ0T, where κ0T is a quanta of GQ. With increasing temperature, GQ decreases and eventually takes the value of the equilibrated regime ∣Nd − Nu∣κ0T. By contrast, at ν = 1/3 and 2/5 (without CP modes), GQ remains robustly quantized at Ndκ0T independent of the temperature. Thus, measuring the quantized values of GQ in two regimes, we determine the edge quantum numbers, which opens a new route for finding the topological order of exotic non-Abelian FQH states.

Real-space entanglement spectra of parton states in fractional quantum Hall systems

Real-space entanglement spectra (RSES) capture characteristic features of the topological order encoded in the fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states. In this work, we numerically compute, using Monte Carlo methods, the RSES and the counting of edge excitations of non-Abelian FQH states constructed using the parton theory. Efficient numerical computation of RSES of parton states is possible, thanks to their product-of-Slater-determinant structure, allowing us to compute the spectra in systems of up to 80 particles. Specifically, we compute the RSES of the parton states $\phi_2^2$, $\phi_2^3$, and $\phi_3^2$, where $\phi_n$ is the wave function of $n$ filled Landau levels, in the ground state as well as in the presence of bulk quasihole states. We then explicitly demonstrate a one-to-one correspondence of RSES of the parton states with representations of the Kac-Moody algebras satisfied by their edge currents. We also show that for the lowest Landau level projected version of these parton states, the spectra match with that obtained from the edge current algebra. We also perform a computation of spectra of the overlap matrices corresponding to the edge excitations of the parton states with a constrained number of particles in the different parton Landau levels. Counting in these matches the individual branches present in RSES, providing insight about how different branches are formed.

Collective Excitations at Filling Factor 5/2: The View from Superspace.

We present a microscopic theory of the neutral collective modes supported by the non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states at filling factor 5/2. The theory is formulated in terms of the trial states describing the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman mode and its fermionic counterpart. These modes are superpartners of each other in a concrete sense, which we elucidate.

Braiding properties of paired spin-singlet and non-Abelian hierarchy states

We study explicit model wave functions describing the fundamental quasiholes in a class of non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states. This class is a family of paired spin-singlet states with internal degrees of freedom. We determine the braid statistics of the quasiholes by determining the monodromy of the explicit quasihole wave functions, that is how they transform under exchanges of quasihole coordinates. The statistics is shown to be the same as that of the quasiholes in the Read–Rezayi states, up to a phase. We also discuss the application of this result to a class of non-Abelian hierarchy wave functions.

Landau-Ginzburg theories of non-Abelian quantum Hall states from non-Abelian bosonization

It is an important open problem to understand the landscape of non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall phases which can be obtained starting from physically motivated theories of Abelian composite particles. We show that progress on this problem can be made using recently proposed non-Abelian bosonization dualities in 2+1 dimensions, which morally relate $U(N)_k$ and $SU(k)_{-N}$ Chern-Simons-matter theories. The advantage of these dualities is that regions of the phase diagram which may be obscure on one side of the duality can be accessed by condensing local operators on the other side. Starting from parent Abelian states, we use this approach to construct Landau-Ginzburg theories of non-Abelian states through a pairing mechanism. In particular, we obtain the bosonic Read-Rezayi sequence at fillings $\nu=k/(kM+2)$ by starting from $k$ layers of bosons at $\nu=1/2$ with $M$ Abelian fluxes attached. The Read-Rezayi states arise when $k$-clusters of the dual non-Abelian bosons condense. We extend this construction by showing that $N_f$-component generalizations of the Halperin $(2,2,1)$ bosonic states have dual descriptions in terms of $SU(N_f+1)_1$ Chern-Simons-matter theories, revealing an emergent global symmetry in the process. Clustering $k$ layers of these theories yields a non-Abelian $SU(N_f)$-singlet state at filling $\nu = kN_f / (N_f + 1 + kMN_f)$.

Prediction of a Non-Abelian Fractional Quantum Hall State with f-Wave Pairing of Composite Fermions in Wide Quantum Wells.

We theoretically investigate the nature of the state at the quarter filled lowest Landau level and predict that, as the quantum well width is increased, a transition occurs from the composite fermion Fermi sea into a novel non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall state that is topologically equivalent to f-wave pairing of composite fermions. This state is topologically distinct from the familiar p-wave paired Pfaffian state. We compare our calculated phase diagram with experiments and make predictions for many observable quantities.

Parton construction of particle-hole-conjugate Read-Rezayi parafermion fractional quantum Hall states and beyond

The Read-Rezayi (RR) parafermion states form a series of exotic non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states at filling $\nu = k/(k+2)$. Computationally, the wave functions of these states are prohibitively expensive to generate for large systems. We introduce a series of parton states, denoted "$\bar{2}^{k}1^{k+1}$," and show that they lie in the same universality classes as the particle-hole-conjugate RR ("anti-RR") states. Our analytical results imply that a $(U(1)_{k+1} \times U(2k)_{-1})/(SU(k)_{-2} \times U(1)_{-1})$ coset conformal field theory describes the edge excitations of the $\bar{2}^{k}1^{k+1}$ state, suggesting non-trivial dualities with respect to previously known descriptions. The parton construction allows wave functions in anti-RR phases to be generated for hundreds of particles. We further propose the parton sequence "$\bar{n}\bar{2}^{2}1^{4}$," with $n=1,2,3$, to describe the FQH states observed at $\nu=2+1/2,~2+2/5$ and $2+3/8$.

Pair-Density-Wave Order and Paired Fractional Quantum Hall Fluids

The properties of the isotropic incompressible $\nu=5/2$ fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state are described by a paired state of composite fermions in zero (effective) magnetic field, with a uniform $p_x+ip_y$ pairing order parameter, which is a non-Abelian topological phase with chiral Majorana and charge modes at the boundary. Recent experiments suggest the existence of a proximate nematic phase at $\nu=5/2$. This finding motivates us to consider an inhomogeneous paired state - a $p_x+ip_y$ pair-density-wave (PDW) - whose melting could be the origin of the observed liquid-crystalline phases. This state can viewed as an array of domain and anti-domain walls of the $p_x+i p_y$ order parameter. We show that the nodes of the PDW order parameter, the location of the domain walls (and anti-domain walls) where the order parameter changes sign, support a pair of symmetry-protected counter-propagating Majorana modes. The coupling behavior of the domain wall Majorana modes crucially depends on the interplay of the Fermi energy $E_{F}$ and the PDW pairing energy $E_{\textrm{pdw}}$. The analysis of this interplay yields a rich set of topological states. The pair-density-wave order state in paired FQH system provides a fertile setting to study Abelian and non-Abelian FQH phases - as well as transitions thereof - tuned by the strength of the paired liquid crystalline order.

Fractional quantum Hall states with gapped boundaries in an extreme lattice limit

We present a detailed microscopic investigation of fractional quantum Hall states with gapped boundaries in a coupled bilayer lattice model featuring holes whose counterpropagating chiral edge states are hybridized and gapped out. We focus on a lattice limit for cold-atom experiments, in which each hole just consists of a single removed site. Although the holes distort the original band structure and lead to ingap remnants of the continuum edge modes, we find that the lowest nearly flat band representing a higher-genus system may naturally form by controlling the local hopping terms that gap out the boundaries. Remarkably, local interactions in this new flat band lead to various Abelian and non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states with gapped boundaries residing on emergent higher-genus surfaces, which we identify by extracting the nontrivial topological ground-state degeneracies and the fractional statistics of quasiparticles. These results demonstrate the feasibility of realizing novel fractional quantum Hall states with gapped boundaries even in the extreme lattice limit, thus enabling a possible new route towards universal topological quantum computation.

Floquet Mechanism for Non-Abelian Fractional Quantum Hall States.

Three-body correlations, which arise between spin-polarized electrons in the first excited Landau level, are believed to play a key role in the emergence of enigmatic non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall (FQH) effects. Inspired by recent advances in Floquet engineering, we investigate periodic driving of anisotropic two-body interactions as a route for controllably creating and tuning effective three-body interactions in the FQH regime. We develop an analytic formalism to describe this Floquet-FQH protocol, which is distinct from previous approaches that instead focus on band structure engineering via modulation of single-particle hopping terms. By systematically analyzing the resulting interactions using generalized pseudopotentials, we show that our Floquet-FQH approach leads to repulsive as well as attractive three-body interactions that are highly tunable and support a variety of non-Abelian multicomponent FQH states. Finally, we propose an implementation of the protocol in optically dressed ultracold polar molecules with modulated Rabi frequencies.

Non-Abelian chiral spin liquid in a quantum antiferromagnet revealed by an iPEPS study

Abelian and non-Abelian topological phases exhibiting protected chiral edge modes are ubiquitous in the realm of the Fractional Quantum Hall (FQH) effect. Here, we investigate a spin-1 Hamiltonian on the square lattice which could, potentially, host the spin liquid analog of the (bosonic) non-Abelian Moore-Read FQH state, as suggested by Exact Diagonalisation of small clusters. Using families of fully SU(2)-spin symmetric and translationally invariant chiral Projected Entangled Pair States (PEPS), variational energy optimization is performed using infinite-PEPS methods, providing good agreement with Density Matrix Renormalisation Group (DMRG) results. A careful analysis of the bulk spin-spin and dimer-dimer correlation functions in the optimized spin liquid suggests that they exhibit long-range "gossamer tails". We argue these tails are finite-$D$ artifacts of the chiral PEPS, which become irrelevant when the PEPS bond dimension $D$ is increased. From the investigation of the entanglement spectrum, we observe sharply defined chiral edge modes following the prediction of the SU(2)$_2$ Wess-Zumino-Witten theory and exhibiting a conformal field theory (CFT) central charge $c=3/2$, as expected for a Moore-Read chiral spin liquid. We conclude that the PEPS formalism offers an unbiased and efficient method to investigate non-Abelian chiral spin liquids in quantum antiferromagnets.

Conformal field theory construction for non-Abelian hierarchy wave functions

The fractional quantum Hall effect is the paradigmatic example of topologically ordered phases. One of its most fascinating aspects is the large variety of different topological orders that may be realized, in particular nonabelian ones. Here we analyze a class of nonabelian fractional quantum Hall model states which are generalizations of the abelian Haldane-Halperin hierarchy. We derive their topological properties and show that the quasiparticles obey nonabelian fusion rules of type su(q)_k. For a subset of these states we are able to derive the conformal field theory description that makes the topological properties - in particular braiding - of the state manifest. The model states we study provide explicit wave functions for a large variety of interesting topological orders, which may be relevant for certain fractional quantum Hall states observed in the first excited Landau level.

Exotic Non-Abelian Topological Defects in Lattice Fractional Quantum Hall States.

We investigate extrinsic wormholelike twist defects that effectively increase the genus of space in lattice versions of multicomponent fractional quantum Hall systems. Although the original band structure is distorted by these defects, leading to localized midgap states, we find that a new lowest flat band representing a higher genus system can be engineered by tuning local single-particle potentials. Remarkably, once local many-body interactions in this new band are switched on, we identify various Abelian and non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states, whose ground-state degeneracy increases with the number of defects, i.e, with the genus of space. This sensitivity of topological degeneracy to defects provides a "proof of concept" demonstration that genons, predicted by topological field theory as exotic non-Abelian defects tied to a varying topology of space, do exist in realistic microscopic models. Specifically, our results indicate that genons could be created in the laboratory by combining the physics of artificial gauge fields in cold atom systems with already existing holographic beam shaping methods for creating twist defects.

Non-Abelian Parton Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in Multilayer Graphene.

The current proposals for producing non-Abelian anyons and Majorana particles, which are neither fermions nor bosons, are primarily based on the realization of topological superconductivity in two dimensions. We show theoretically that the unique Landau level structure of bilayer graphene provides a new possible avenue for achieving such exotic particles. Specifically, we demonstrate the feasibility of a "parton" fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state, which supports non-Abelian particles without the usual topological superconductivity. Furthermore, we advance this state as the fundamental explanation of the puzzling 1/2 FQH effect observed in bilayer graphene [ Kim et al. Nano Lett. 2015 , 15 , 7445 ] and predict that it will also occur in trilayer graphene. We indicate experimental signatures that differentiate the parton state from other candidate non-Abelian FQH states and predict that a transverse electric field can induce a topological quantum phase transition between two distinct non-Abelian FQH states.

Coupled spin- 12 ladders as microscopic models for non-Abelian chiral spin liquids

We construct a two-dimensional (2D) lattice model that is argued to realize a gapped chiral spin liquid with (Ising) non-Abelian topological order. The building blocks are spin-1/2 two-leg ladders with $SU(2)$-symmetric spin-spin interactions. The two-leg ladders are then arranged on rows and coupled through SU(2)-symmetric interactions between consecutive ladders. The intra-ladder interactions are tuned so as to realize the c = 1/2 Ising conformal field theory, a fact that we establish numerically via Density Matrix Renormalization Group (DMRG) studies. Time-reversal breaking inter-ladder interactions are tuned so as to open a bulk gap in the 2D lattice system. This 2D system supports gapless chiral edge modes with Ising non-Abelian excitations but no charge excitations, in contrast to the Pfaffian non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall state.

Exact parent Hamiltonians of bosonic and fermionic Moore–Read states on lattices and local models

We introduce a family of strongly-correlated spin wave functions on arbitrary spin- and spin-1 lattices in one and two dimensions. These states are lattice analogues of Moore–Read states of particles at filling fraction , which are non-Abelian fractional quantum Hall states in 2D. One parameter enables us to perform an interpolation between the continuum limit, where the states become continuum Moore–Read states of bosons (odd q) and fermions (even q), and the lattice limit. We show numerical evidence that the topological entanglement entropy stays the same along the interpolation for some of the states we introduce in 2D, which suggests that the topological properties of the lattice states are the same as in the continuum, while the 1D states are critical states. We then derive exact parent Hamiltonians for these states on lattices of arbitrary size. By deforming these parent Hamiltonians, we construct local Hamiltonians that stabilize some of the states we introduce in 1D and in 2D.