Probing Non-Abelian Statistics with QuasiParticle Interferometry

We examine interferometric experiments in systems that exhibit non-Abelian braiding statistics, expressing outcomes in terms of the modular S-matrix. In particular, this result applies to FQH interferometry, and we give a detailed treatment of the Read-Rezayi states, providing explicit predictions for the recently observed nu=12/5 plateau.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; v2: references added, orientation convention of the modular S-matrix changed, clarification regarding particle-hole transformation added; v3: references updated, clarifying changes made to conform to the version published in PR

Kinetic ferromagnetism on a kagome lattice

We study strongly correlated electrons on a kagome lattice at 1/6 and 1/3 filling. They are described by an extended Hubbard Hamiltonian. We are concerned with the limit |t|<<V<<U with hopping amplitude t, nearest-neighbor repulsion V and on-site repulsion U. We derive an effective Hamiltonian and show, with the help of the Perron-Frobenius theorem, that the system is ferromagnetic at low temperatures. The robustness of ferromagnetism is discussed and extensions to other lattices are indicated.Comment: 4 pages, 2 color eps figures; updated version published in Phys. Rev. Lett.; one reference adde

Magnetic field-tuned Aharonov-Bohm oscillations and evidence for non-Abelian anyons at v=5/2

We show that the resistance of the v=5/2 quantum Hall state, confined to an interferometer, oscillates with magnetic field consistent with an Ising-type non-Abelian state. In three quantum Hall interferometers of different sizes, resistance oscillations at v=7/3 and integer filling factors have the magnetic field period expected if the number of quasiparticles contained within the interferometer changes so as to keep the area and the total charge within the interferometer constant. Under these conditions, an Abelian state such as the (3,3,1) state would show oscillations with the same period as at an integer quantum Hall state. However, in an Ising-type non-Abelian state there would be a rapid oscillation associated with the "even-odd effect" and a slower one associated with the accumulated Abelian phase due to both the Aharonov-Bohm effect and the Abelian part of the quasiparticle braiding statistics. Our measurements at v=5/2 are consistent with the latter.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, includes Supplemental Material

Interferometric signature of non-Abelian anyons

We consider the tunneling current through a double point-contact Fabry-Pérot interferometer such as used in recent experimental studies of the fractional quantum Hall plateau at filling fraction v=5/2. We compare the predictions of several different models of the state of the electrons at this plateau: the Moore-Read, anti-Pfaffian, SU(2)_2 NAF, K=8 strong pairing, and (3,3,1) states. All of these predict the existence of charge e/4 quasiparticles, but the first three are non-Abelian while the last two are Abelian. We give explicit formulas for the scaling of charge e/2 and charge e/4 quasiparticle contributions to the current as a function of temperature, gate voltage, and distance between the two point contacts for all three models. Based on these, we analyze several possible explanations of two phenomena reported for recent experiments by Willett et al., namely, halving of the period of the observed resistance oscillations with rising temperature and alternation between the same two observed periods at low temperatures as the area of the interference loop is varied with a side gate. We conclude that the most likely explanation is that the observed alternation is due to switching between even and odd numbers of charge e/4 quasiparticles enclosed within the loop as a function of side-gate voltage, which is a clear signature of the presence of non-Abelian anyons. However, there are important features of the data which do not have a simple explanation within this picture. We suggest further experiments which could help rule out some possible scenarios. We make the corresponding predictions for future tunneling and interference experiments at the other observed second Landau level fractional quantum Hall states

Decoherence of Anyonic Charge in Interferometry Measurements

We examine interferometric measurements of the topological charge of (non-Abelian) anyons. The target's topological charge is measured from its effect on the interference of probe particles sent through the interferometer. We find that superpositions of distinct anyonic charges a and a' in the target decohere (exponentially in the number of probes particles used) when the probes have nontrivial monodromy with the charges that may be fused with a to give a'.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure; v2: reference added, example added, clarifying changes made to conform to the version published in PR

Vertex Models and Random Labyrinths: Phase Diagrams for Ice-type Vertex Models

We propose a simple geometric recipe for constructing phase diagrams for a general class of vertex models obeying the ice rule. The disordered phase maps onto the intersecting loop model which is interesting in its own right and is related to several other statistical mechanical models. This mapping is also useful in understanding some ordered phases of these vertex models as they correspond to the polymer loop models with cross-links in their vulcanised phase.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Interference measurements of non-Abelian e/4 & Abelian e/2 quasiparticle braiding

The quantum Hall states at filling factors $\nu=5/2$ and $7/2$ are expected to have Abelian charge $e/2$ quasiparticles and non-Abelian charge $e/4$ quasiparticles. For the first time we report experimental evidence for the non-Abelian nature of excitations at $\nu=7/2$ and examine the fermion parity, a topological quantum number of an even number of non-Abelian quasiparticles, by measuring resistance oscillations as a function of magnetic field in Fabry-P\'erot interferometers using new high purity heterostructures. The phase of observed $e/4$ oscillations is reproducible and stable over long times (hours) near $\nu=5/2$ and $7/2$, indicating stability of the fermion parity. When phase fluctuations are observed, they are predominantly $\pi$ phase flips, consistent with fermion parity change. 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 life-time of their combined fermion parity further strengthens the case for their utility for topological quantum computation.Comment: A significantly revised version; 54 double-column pages containing 14 pages of main text + Supplementary Materials. The figures, which include a number of new figures, are now incorporated into the tex

Lebowitz Inequalities for Ashkin-Teller Systems

We consider the Ashkin-Teller model with negative four-spin coupling but still in the region where the ground state is ferromagnetic. We establish the standard Lebowitz inequality as well as the extension that is necessary to prove a divergent susceptibility.Comment: Ams-TeX, 12 pages; two references added, final version accepted for publication in Physica

Ettingshausen effect due to Majorana modes

The presence of Majorana zero-energy modes at vortex cores in a topological superconductor implies that each vortex carries an extra entropy $s_0$, given by $(k_{B}/2)\ln 2$, that is independent of temperature. By utilizing this special property of Majorana modes, the edges of a topological superconductor can be cooled (or heated) by the motion of the vortices across the edges. As vortices flow in the transverse direction with respect to an external imposed supercurrent, due to the Lorentz force, a thermoelectric effect analogous to the Ettingshausen effect is expected to occur between opposing edges. We propose an experiment to observe this thermoelectric effect, which could directly probe the intrinsic entropy of Majorana zero-energy modes.Comment: 16 pages, 3 figure