Model wave functions for the collective modes and the magnetoroton theory of the fractional quantum Hall effect

Splitting of the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman Density Wave and the Nature of Chiral Gravitons in the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

A fundamental manifestation of the nontrivial correlations of an incompressible fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state is that an electron added to it disintegrates into more elementary particles, namely fractionally-charged composite fermions (CFs). We show here that the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman (GMP) density-wave excitation of the ν=n/(2pn±1) FQH states also splits into more elementary single CF excitons. In particular, the GMP graviton, which refers to the recently observed spin-2 neutral excitation in the vanishing wave vector limit [Liang et al., Nature 628, 78 (2024)], remains undivided for ν=n/(2n±1) but splits into two gravitons at ν=n/(4n±1) with n>1. A detailed experimental confirmation of the many observable consequences of the splitting of the GMP mode should provide a unique window into the correlations underlying the FQH effect.

Microscopic Model for Fractional Quantum Hall Nematics

Geometric fluctuations of the density mode in a fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state can give rise to a nematic FQH phase, a topological state with a spontaneously broken rotational symmetry. While experiments on FQH states in the second Landau level have reported signatures of putative FQH nematics in anisotropic transport, a realistic model for this state has been lacking. We show that the standard model of particles in the lowest Landau level interacting via the Coulomb potential realizes the FQH nematic transition, which is reached by a progressive reduction of the strength of the shortest-range Haldane pseudopotential. Using exact diagonalization and variational wave functions, we demonstrate that the FQH nematic transition occurs when the system's neutral gap closes in the long-wavelength limit while the charge gap remains open. We confirm the symmetry-breaking nature of the transition by demonstrating the existence of a "circular moat" potential in the manifold of states with broken rotational symmetry, while its geometric character is revealed through the strong fluctuations of the nematic susceptibility and Hall viscosity.

Evidence for chiral graviton modes in fractional quantum Hall liquids

Exotic physics could emerge from interplay between geometry and correlation. In fractional quantum Hall (FQH) states1, novel collective excitations called chiral graviton modes (CGMs) are proposed as quanta of fluctuations of an internal quantum metric under a quantum geometry description2-5. Such modes are condensed-matter analogues of gravitons that are hypothetical spin-2 bosons. They are characterized by polarized states with chirality6-8 of +2 or -2, and energy gaps coinciding with the fundamental neutral collective excitations (namely, magnetorotons9,10) in the long-wavelength limit. However, CGMs remain experimentally inaccessible. Here we observe chiral spin-2 long-wavelength magnetorotons using inelastic scattering of circularly polarized lights, providing strong evidence for CGMs in FQH liquids. At filling factor v = 1/3, a gapped mode identified as the long-wavelength magnetoroton emerges under a specific polarization scheme corresponding to angular momentum S = -2, which persists at extremely long wavelength. Remarkably, the mode chirality remains -2 at v = 2/5 but becomes the opposite at v = 2/3 and 3/5. The modes have characteristic energies and sharp peaks with marked temperature and filling-factor dependence, corroborating the assignment of long-wavelength magnetorotons. The observations capture the essentials of CGMs and support the FQH geometrical description, paving the way to unveil rich physics of quantum metric effects in topological correlated systems.

Signatures of Supersymmetry in the ν=5/2 Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

The Moore-Read state, one of the leading candidates for describing the fractional quantum Hall effect at filling factor ν=5/2, is a paradigmatic p-wave superconductor with non-Abelian topological order. Among its many exotic properties, the state hosts two collective modes: a bosonic density wave and a neutral fermion mode that arises from an unpaired electron in the condensate. It has recently been proposed that the descriptions of the two modes can be unified by postulating supersymmetry (SUSY) that relates them in the long-wavelength limit. Here we extend the SUSY description to construct wave functions of the two modes on closed surfaces, such as the sphere and torus, and we test the resulting states in large-scale numerical simulations. We demonstrate the equivalence in the long-wavelength limit between SUSY wave functions and previous descriptions of collective modes based on the Girvin-MacDonald-Platzman ansatz, Jack polynomials, and bipartite composite fermions. Leveraging the first-quantized form of the SUSY wave functions, we study their energies using the Monte Carlo method and show that realistic ν=5/2 systems are close to the putative SUSY point, where the two collective modes become degenerate in energy.

Geometric fluctuation of conformal Hilbert spaces and multiple graviton modes in fractional quantum Hall effect

Neutral excitations in fractional quantum Hall (FQH) fluids define the incompressibility of topological phases, a species of which can show graviton-like behaviors and are thus called the graviton modes (GMs). Here, we develop the microscopic theory for multiple GMs in FQH fluids and show explicitly that they are associated with the geometric fluctuation of well-defined conformal Hilbert spaces (CHSs), which are hierarchical subspaces within a single Landau level, each with emergent conformal symmetry and continuously parameterized by a unimodular metric. This leads to several statements about the number and the merging/splitting of GMs, which are verified numerically with both model and realistic interactions. We also discuss how the microscopic theory can serve as the basis for the additional Haldane modes in the effective field theory description and their experimental relevance to realistic electron-electron interactions.

Probing Geometric Excitations of Fractional Quantum Hall States on Quantum Computers

Intermediate-scale quantum technologies provide new opportunities for scientific discovery, yet they also pose the challenge of identifying suitable problems that can take advantage of such devices in spite of their present-day limitations. In solid-state materials, fractional quantum Hall phases continue to attract attention as hosts of emergent geometrical excitations analogous to gravitons, resulting from the nonperturbative interactions between the electrons. However, the direct observation of such excitations remains a challenge. Here, we identify a quasi-one-dimensional model that captures the geometric properties and graviton dynamics of fractional quantum Hall states. We then simulate geometric quench and the subsequent graviton dynamics on the IBM quantum computer using an optimally compiled Trotter circuit with bespoke error mitigation. Moreover, we develop an efficient, optimal-control-based variational quantum algorithm that can efficiently simulate graviton dynamics in larger systems. Our results open a new avenue for studying the emergence of gravitons in a new class of tractable models on the existing quantum hardware.

Multiple Magnetorotons and Spectral Sum Rules in Fractional Quantum Hall Systems

We study, numerically, the charge neutral excitations (magnetorotons) in fractional quantum Hall systems, concentrating on the two Jain states near quarter filling, ν=2/7 and ν=2/9, and the ν=1/4 Fermi-liquid state itself. In contrast to the ν=1/3 states and the Jain states near half filling, on each of the two Jain states ν=2/7 and ν=2/9 the graviton spectral densities show two, instead of one, magnetoroton peaks. The magnetorotons have spin 2 and have opposite chiralities in the ν=2/7 state and the same chirality in the ν=2/9 state. We also provide a numerical verification of a sum rule relating the guiding center spin s[over ¯] with the spectral densities of the stress tensor.

Laughlin anyon complexes with Bose properties

Two-dimensional electron systems in a quantizing magnetic field are regarded as of exceptional interest, considering the possible role of anyons-quasiparticles with non-boson and non-fermion statistics-in applied physics. To this day, essentially none but the fractional states of the quantum Hall effect (FQHE) have been experimentally realized as a system with anyonic statistics. In determining the thermodynamic properties of anyon matter, it is crucial to gain insight into the physics of its neutral excitations. We form a macroscopic quasi-equilibrium ensemble of neutral excitations - spin one anyon complexes in the Laughlin state ν = 1/3, experimentally, where ν is the electron filling factor. The ensemble is found to have such a long lifetime that it can be considered the new state of anyon matter. The properties of this state are investigated by optical techniques to reveal its Bose properties.

Fractionalization and Dynamics of Anyons and Their Experimental Signatures in the ν=n+1/3 Fractional Quantum Hall State

We show the low-lying excitations at filling factor ν=n+1/3 with realistic interactions can be understood as quantum fluids with "Gaffnian quasiholes" as the proper elementary degrees of freedom. Each Laughlin quasihole can thus be understood as a bound state of two Gaffnian quasiholes, which in the lowest Landau level (LLL) behaves like "partons" with "asymptotic freedom" mediated by neutral excitations acting as "gluons." Near the experimentally observed nematic FQH phase in higher LLs, quasiholes become weakly bound and can fractionalize with rich dynamical properties. By studying the effective interactions between quasiholes, we predict a finite temperature phase transition of the Laughlin quasiholes even when the Laughlin ground state remains incompressible, and derive relevant experimental conditions for its possible observations.

Realization of Supersymmetry and Its Spontaneous Breaking in Quantum Hall Edges

Supersymmetry (SUSY) relating bosons and fermions plays an important role in unifying different fundamental interactions in particle physics. Since no superpartners of elementary particles have been observed, SUSY, if present, must be broken at low-energy. This makes it important to understand how SUSY is realized and broken, and study their consequences. We show that an N=(1,0) SUSY, arguably the simplest type, can be realized at the edge of the Moore-Read quantum Hall state. Depending on the absence or presence of edge reconstruction, both SUSY-preserving and SUSY broken phases can be realized in the same system, allowing for their unified description. The significance of the gapless fermionic Goldstino mode in the SUSY broken phase is discussed.

Quench Dynamics of Collective Modes in Fractional Quantum Hall Bilayers

We introduce different types of quenches to probe the nonequilibrium dynamics and multiple collective modes of bilayer fractional quantum Hall states. We show that applying an electric field in one layer induces oscillations of a spin-1 degree of freedom, whose frequency matches the long-wavelength limit of the dipole mode. On the other hand, oscillations of the long-wavelength limit of the quadrupole mode, i.e., the spin-2 graviton, as well as the combination of two spin-1 states, can be activated by a sudden change of band mass anisotropy. We construct an effective field theory to describe the quench dynamics of these collective modes. In particular, we derive the dynamics for both the spin-2 and the spin-1 states and demonstrate their excellent agreement with numerics.

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.

Chiral Gravitons in Fractional Quantum Hall Liquids

We elucidate the nature of neutral collective excitations of fractional quantum Hall liquids in the long-wavelength limit. We demonstrate that they are chiral gravitons carrying angular momentum -2, which are quanta of quantum motion of an internal metric, and show up as resonance peaks in the system's response to what is the fractional Hall analog of gravitational waves. The relation with existing and possible future experimental work that can detect these fractional quantum Hall gravitons and reveal their chirality is discussed.

Generalized Pseudopotentials for the Anisotropic Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

We generalize the notion of Haldane pseudopotentials to anisotropic fractional quantum Hall (FQH) systems that are physically realized, e.g., in tilted magnetic field experiments or anisotropic band structures. This formalism allows us to expand any translation-invariant interaction over a complete basis, and directly reveals the intrinsic metric of incompressible FQH fluids. We show that purely anisotropic pseudopotentials give rise to new types of bound states for small particle clusters in the infinite plane, and can be used as a diagnostic of FQH nematic order. We also demonstrate that generalized pseudopotentials quantify the anisotropic contribution to the effective interaction potential, which can be particularly large in models of fractional Chern insulators.

Higher-Spin Theory of the Magnetorotons

Fractional quantum Hall liquids exhibit a rich set of excitations, the lowest energy of which are the magnetorotons with dispersion minima at a finite momentum. We propose a theory of the magnetorotons on the quantum Hall plateaux near half filling, namely, at filling fractions ν=N/(2N+1) at large N. The theory involves an infinite number of bosonic fields arising from bosonizing the fluctuations of the shape of the composite Fermi surface. At zero momentum there are O(N) neutral excitations, each carrying a well-defined spin that runs integer values 2,3,…. The mixing of modes at nonzero momentum q leads to the characteristic bending down of the lowest excitation and the appearance of the magnetoroton minima. A purely algebraic argument shows that the magnetoroton minima are located at qℓ_{B}=z_{i}/(2N+1), where ℓ_{B} is the magnetic length and z_{i} are the zeros of the Bessel function J_{1}, independent of the microscopic details. We argue that these minima are universal features of any two-dimensional Fermi surface coupled to a gauge field in a small background magnetic field.

Fractional Quantum Hall States at ν=13/5 and 12/5 and Their Non-Abelian Nature

Topological quantum states with non-Abelian Fibonacci anyonic excitations are widely sought after for the exotic fundamental physics they would exhibit, and for universal quantum computing applications. The fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state at a filling factor of ν=12/5 is a promising candidate; however, its precise nature is still under debate and no consensus has been achieved so far. Here, we investigate the nature of the FQH ν=13/5 state and its particle-hole conjugate state at 12/5 with the Coulomb interaction, and we address the issue of possible competing states. Based on a large-scale density-matrix renormalization group calculation in spherical geometry, we present evidence that the essential physics of the Coulomb ground state (GS) at ν=13/5 and 12/5 is captured by the k=3 parafermion Read-Rezayi state (RR_{3}), including a robust excitation gap and the topological fingerprint from the entanglement spectrum and topological entanglement entropy. Furthermore, by considering the infinite-cylinder geometry (topologically equivalent to torus geometry), we expose the non-Abelian GS sector corresponding to a Fibonacci anyonic quasiparticle, which serves as a signature of the RR_{3} state at 13/5 and 12/5 filling numbers.

Nature of quasielectrons and the continuum of neutral bulk excitations in Laughlin quantum Hall fluids

We construct model wave functions for a family of single-quasielectron states supported by the ν = 1/3 fractional quantum Hall fluid. The charge e* = e/3 quasielectron state is identified as a composite of a charge-2e* quasiparticle and a -e* quasihole, orbiting around their common center of charge with relative angular momentum nℏ > 0, and corresponds precisely to the "composite fermion" construction based on a filled n = 0 Landau level plus an extra particle in level n > 0. An effective three-body model (one 2e* quasiparticle and two -e* quasiholes) is introduced to capture the essential physics of the neutral bulk excitations.

Exactly solvable fermion chain describing a ν=1/3 fractional quantum Hall state

We introduce an exactly solvable fermion chain that describes a ν=1/3 fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state beyond the thin-torus limit. The ground state of our model is shown to be unique for each center-of-mass sector, and it has a matrix product representation that enables us to exactly calculate order parameters, correlation functions, and entanglement spectra. The ground state of our model shows striking similarities with the BCS wave functions and quantum spin-1 chains. Using the variational method with matrix product ansatz, we analytically calculate excitation gaps and vanishing of the compressibility expected in the FQH state. We also show that the above results can be related to a ν=1/2 bosonic FQH state.