Detecting Non-Abelian Statistics in the nu=5/2 Fractional Quantum Hall State

We develop a general framework to (numerically) study adiabatic braiding of quasiholes in fractional quantum Hall systems. Specifically, we investigate the Moore-Read (MR) state at $\nu=1/2$ filling factor, a known candidate for non-Abelian statistics, which appears to actually occur in nature. The non-Abelian statistics of MR quasiholes is demonstrated explicitly for the first time, confirming the results predicted by conformal field theories.

Non-Abelian excitations are an interesting feature of many fractional quantum Hall phases, including those phases described by the Moore-Read (or Pfaffian) wave function. However, the detection of the non-Abelian quasiparticles is challenging. Here, we consider a system described by the Moore-Read wave function, and assume that impurity particles bind to its quasiholes. Then, the angular momentum of the impurities, reflected also by the impurity density, provides a useful wit...

In this paper, we report on the study of Abelian and non-Abelian statistics through Fabry-Perot interferometry of fractional quantum Hall (FQH) systems. Our detection of phase slips in quantum interference experiments demonstrates a powerful, new way of detecting braiding of anyons. We confirm the Abelian anyonic braiding statistics in the $\nu = 7/3$ FQH state through detection of the predicted statistical phase angle of $2\pi/3$, consistent with a change of the anyonic part...

In fractional quantum Hall systems, quasiparticles of fractional charge can tunnel between the edges at a quantum point contact. Such tunneling (or backscattering) processes contribute to charge transport, and provide information on both the charge and statistics of the quasiparticles involved. Here we study quasiparticle tunneling in the Moore-Read state, in which quasiparticles of charge e/4 (non-Abelian) and e/2 (Abelian) may co-exist and both contribute to edge transport....

Quasiholes in certain fractional quantum Hall states are promising candidates for the experimental realization of non-Abelian anyons. They are assumed to be localized excitations, and to display non-Abelian statistics when sufficiently separated, but these properties have not been explicitly demonstrated except for the Moore-Read state. In this work, we apply the newly developed matrix product state technique to examine these exotic excitations. For the Moore-Read and the $\m...

We propose several experiments to test the non-abelian nature of quasi-particles in the fractional quantum Hall state of \nu=5/2. One set of experiments studies interference contribution to back-scattering of current, and is a simplified version of an experiment suggested recently. Another set looks at thermodynamic properties of a closed system. Both experiments are only weakly sensitive to disorder-induced distribution of localized quasi-particles.

We review a recent development in the theoretical understanding of the nu=5/2 quantum Hall plateau and propose a new conformal field theory, slightly different from the Moore-Read one, to describe another universality class relevant for this plateau. The ground state is still given by the Pfaffian and is completely polarized, however, the elementary quasiholes are charge 1/2 anyons with abelian statistics theta=pi/2, which obey complete spin-charge separation. The physical ho...

We study the "entanglement spectrum" (a presentation of the Schmidt decomposition analogous to a set of "energy levels") of a many-body state, and compare the Moore-Read model wavefunction for the $\nu$ = 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state with a generic 5/2 state obtained by finite-size diagonalization of the second-Landau-level-projected Coulomb interactions. Their spectra share a common "gapless" structure, related to conformal field theory. In the model state, these are th...

We study the effects of bulk-edge Coulomb coupling on quantum Hall Fabry-Perot interferometers. We find that these effects can be appreciable in devices which would not usually be associated with strong bulk-edge Coulomb coupling, provided the devices in question exhibit certain fractional plateaus. With this in mind, we analyze recent experiments at $\nu=5/2$ by taking into account a tunnel coupling between localized bulk Majorana states and Majorana edge states. We find tha...

We develop the general quantum measurement theory of non-Abelian anyons through interference experiments. The paper starts with a terse introduction to the theory of anyon models, focusing on the basic formalism necessary to apply standard quantum measurement theory to such systems. This is then applied to give a detailed analysis of anyonic charge measurements using a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for arbitrary anyon models. We find that, as anyonic probes are sent through the...