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Abstract The composite fermion theory opened a new chapter in understanding many-body correlations through the formation of emergent particles. The formation of two-flux and four-flux composite fermions is well established. While there are limited data linked to the formation of six-flux composite fermions, topological protection associated with them is conspicuously lacking. Here we report evidence for the formation of a quantized and gapped fractional quantum Hall state at the filling factor ν = 9/11, which we associate with the formation of six-flux composite fermions. Our result provides evidence for the most intricate composite fermion with six fluxes and expands the already diverse family of highly correlated topological phases with a new member that cannot be characterized by correlations present in other known members. Our observations pave the way towards the study of higher order correlations in the fractional quantum Hall regime.

Abstract Real-time probing of electrons can uncover intricate relaxation mechanisms and many-body interactions in strongly correlated materials. Here, we introduce time, momentum, and energy resolved pump-probe tunneling spectroscopy (Tr-MERTS). The method allows the injection of electrons at a particular energy and observation of their subsequent decay in energy-momentum space. Using Tr-MERTS, we visualize electronic decay processes, with lifetimes from tens of nanoseconds to tens of microseconds, in Landau levels formed in a GaAs quantum well. Although most observed features agree with simple energy-relaxation, we discovered a splitting in the nonequilibrium energy spectrum in the vicinity of a ferromagnetic state. An exact diagonalization study suggests that the splitting arises from a maximally spin-polarized state with higher energy than a conventional equilibrium skyrmion. Furthermore, we observe time-dependent relaxation of the splitting, which we attribute to single-flipped spins forming skyrmions. These results establish Tr-MERTS as a powerful tool for studying the properties of a 2DES beyond equilibrium.

The quantum Hall states at filling factors ν=5/2 and 7/2 are expected to have Abelian charge-e/2 quasiparticles and non-Abelian charge-e/4 quasiparticles. The non-Abelian statistics of the latter is predicted to display a striking interferometric signature, the even-odd effect. By measuring resistance oscillations as a function of the magnetic field in Fabry-Pérot interferometers using new high-purity heterostructures, we for the first time report experimental evidence for the non-Abelian nature of excitations at ν=7/2. At both ν=5/2 and 7/2, we also examine, for the first time, the fermion parity, a topological quantum number of an even number of non-Abelian quasiparticles. The phase of observed e/4 oscillations is reproducible and stable over long times (hours) near both filling factors, indicating stability of the fermion parity. At both fractions, when phase fluctuations are observed, they are predominantly π phase flips, consistent with either fermion parity change or change in the number of the enclosed e/4 quasiparticles. We also examine lower-frequency oscillations attributable to Abelian interference processes in both states. Taken together, these results constitute new evidence for the non-Abelian nature of e/4 quasiparticles; the observed lifetime of their combined fermion parity further strengthens the case for their utility for topological quantum computation.

What is the fate of the ground state of a two-dimensional electron system at very low Landau level filling factors (ν) where interaction reigns supreme? An ordered array of electrons, the so-called Wigner crystal, has long been believed to be the answer. It was in fact the search for the elusive Wigner crystal that led to the discovery of an unexpected, incompressible liquid state, namely the fractional quantum Hall state at ν=1/3. Understanding the competition between the liquid and solid ground states has since remained an active field of fundamental research. Here we report experimental data for a new two-dimensional system where the electrons are confined to an AlAs quantum well. The exceptionally high quality of the samples and the large electron effective mass allow us to determine the liquid-solid phase diagram for the two-dimensional electrons in a large range of filling factors near ≃1/3 and ≃1/5. The data and their comparison with an available theoretical phase diagram reveal the crucial role of Landau level mixing and finite electron layer thickness in determining the prevailing ground states.