Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Log inSign up
Challenges
Datasets
Workspaces
Papers
Discussions
Leaderboard
Blog
Job Board
Q3AS

© 2026 Aqora Quantum S.A.S.

TermsPrivacyLegal Notice

Physical Review Letters

Finite-Size Studies of the Incompressible State of the Fractionally Quantized Hall Effect and its Excitations

F. D. M. Haldane, Edward H. Rezayi

Published Jan 21, 1985• 448 citations
Publisher

Abstract

The incompressible states of interacting two-dimensional electrons in a high magnetic field has been studied by finite-size calculations in the spherical geometry. The excitation spectrum at $\frac{1}{3}$ Landau-level filling is described, and the Laughlin-Jastrow character of the Coulomb-interaction ground state is unambiguously confirmed. As the interaction is varied, a transition to a gapless compressible state is observed.

DOI
10.1103/physrevlett.54.237

Related papers

Toward a New Theory of the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

Sergey A. Mikhailov

The fractional quantum Hall effect was experimentally discovered in 1982. It was observed that the Hall conductivity σyx of a two-dimensional electron system is quantized, σyx=e2/3h, in the vicinity of the Landau level filling factor ν=1/3. In 1983, Laughlin proposed a trial many-body wave function, which he claimed described a “new state of matter”—a homogeneous incompressible liquid with fractionally charged quasiparticles. Here, I develop an exact diagonalization theory that allows one to calculate the energy and other physical properties of the ground and excited states of a system of N two-dimensional Coulomb interacting electrons in a strong magnetic field. I analyze the energies, electron densities, and other physical properties of the systems with N≤7 electrons continuously as a function of magnetic field in the range 1/4≲ν<1. The results show that both the ground and excited states of the system resemble a sliding Wigner crystal whose parameters are influenced by the magnetic field. Energy gaps in the many-particle spectra appear and disappear as the magnetic field changes. I also calculate the physical properties of the ν=1/3 Laughlin state for N≤8 and compare the results with the exact ones. This comparison, as well as an analysis of some other statements published in the literature, show that the Laughlin state and its fractionally charged excitations do not describe the physical reality, neither at small N nor in the thermodynamic limit. The results obtained shed new light on the nature of the ground and excited states in the fractional quantum Hall effect.

arXiv:2206.05152•Nanomaterials•Jan 31, 2024•1 citation

Fractionally charged impurity states of a fractional quantum Hall system

Kelly R Patton, Michael R Geller

The single-particle spectral function for an incompressible fractional quantum Hall state in the presence of a scalar short-ranged attractive impurity potential is calculated via exact diagonalization within the spherical geometry. In contrast to the noninteracting case, where only a single bound state below the lowest Landau level forms, electron–electron interactions strongly renormalize the impurity potential, effectively giving it a finite range, which can support many quasi-bound states (long-lived resonances). Averaging the spectral weights of the quasi-bound states and extrapolating to the thermodynamic limit, for filling factor ν = 1/3 we find evidence consistent with localized fractionally charged e /3 quasi-particles. For ν = 2/5, the results are slightly more ambiguous, due to finite size effects and possible bunching of Laughlin-quasi-particles.

arXiv:1308.6579•New Journal of Physics•Feb 4, 2014•3 citations

Transition between compressible and incompressible states in infinite-layer fractional quantum Hall systems

Sei Suzuki, Yoshio Kuramoto

Possible phase transitions between incompressible quantum Hall states and compressible three-dimensional states are discussed for infinite-layer electron systems in strong magnetic field. By variational Monte Carlo calculation, relative stability of some trial states is studied. If the interlayer distance is large enough, the Laughlin state is stabilized for the Landau level filling $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/3$ of each layer. When the interlayer distance is comparable to the magnetic length, the Laughlin state becomes unstable against a different fractional quantum Hall state with interlayer correlation, and/or against a three-dimensional compressible state. It is discussed how the quantum phase transition between them can be controlled in actual systems.

arXiv:cond-mat/0005014•Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Jul 15, 2000•5 citations

Quantized Hall effect and quantum phase transitions in coupled two-layer electron systems

Song He, S. Das Sarma, X. C. Xie

We study the nature of the many-body electron states (and quantum phase transitions between them) in a double-quantum-well structure under a strong external magnetic field as a function of the materials parameters that define the two-layer system, namely, the thickness of individual layers, the separation between them, the individual well potentials confining the electrons, and the potential barrier between them. Motivated by two recent experiments, we consider two different situations, one with (almost) no quantum tunneling between the wells, and the other with substantial interwell quantum tunneling. We use the spherical system finite-size exact diagonalization technique for our calculations. By calculating the overlap of our exact small-system numerical wave functions with various (postulated) analytic wave functions, we comment on the nature of the incompressibility for various Landau-level filling factors (\ensuremath{\nu}). We investigate, in particular details, the possibility of \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 (i.e., 1/4 average occupancy in each well), and, 1 (i.e., 1/2 occupancy in each well) incompressible states where \ensuremath{\nu} is the total filling factor for the system. We also provide results for the \ensuremath{\nu}=2/3 situation. Our conclusion, based on our use of realistic system parameters in our calculations, is that in both the recent experimental realizations of the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 fractional quantum Hall effect, the relevant ground state is the so-called ``331'' state which is stabilized by the competition between intrawell and interwell electron-electron correlations.We calculate for various double-quantum-well structural parameters and magnetic fields the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 excitation spectra and the energy gaps, and compare it with the recent experimental data, obtaining excellent quantitative agreement. We provide a detailed quantum phase diagram for the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 state as a function of the interwell Coulomb interaction and the symmetric-antisymmetric single-particle gap, and find that the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 quantum Hall effect observed in the two recent experiments, in contrast to the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 effect, belongs in some sense to two different universality classes. We also predict the existence of a reentrant \ensuremath{\nu}=1 quantum Hall effect in double-quantum-well systems.

Physical review. B, Condensed matter•Feb 15, 1993•145 citations

Finite-cluster studies of the fractional filling of the Landau level

Xiaoming Xiong, Shixun Zhou, Yun Zhu

Finite-cluster systems of a two-dimensional electron gas under a high magnetic field are investigated by numerical diagonalisation of the Hamiltonians. A detailed study is presented of the system of three Coulomb interacting electrons in particular. The contribution from the uniform neutralising background is included. The numerical result for the ground-state energy at a filling factor of 1 / 3 is in good agreement with that for the incompressible fluid.

Journal of Physics C Solid State Physics•Oct 30, 1987•2 citations

Fractional quantum Hall effect in the second Landau level: The importance of inter-composite-fermion interaction

Csaba Tőke, Michael R. Peterson, Gun Sang Jeon +1 more

Exact diagonalization of a two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field in the disk geometry shows that there exists a filling-factor range in the second Landau level where the states significantly differ from those in the lowest Landau level. We show that the difference arises because the interaction between composite fermions is not negligible in higher Landau levels, as indicated by a substantial mixing between composite-fermion Landau-like levels, or $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ levels. We find that the exact ground state is well reproduced by composite-fermion theory with $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-level mixing incorporated at the lowest level of approximation. Using the same variational approach in the spherical geometry we estimate the excitation gap at filling $1∕3$ in the second Landau level (which corresponds to $7∕3$ of experiment).

arXiv:cond-mat/0504571•Physical Review B•Sep 12, 2005•31 citations
The incompressible states of interacting two-dimensional electrons in a high magnetic field has been studied by finite-size calculations in the spherical geometry. The excitation spectrum at 13\frac{1}{3}31​ Landau-level filling is described, and the Laughlin-Jastrow character of the Coulomb-interaction ground state is unambiguously confirmed. As the interaction is varied, a transition to a gapless compressible state is observed.
The fractional quantum Hall effect was experimentally discovered in 1982. It was observed that the Hall conductivity σyx of a two-dimensional electron system is quantized, σyx=e2/3h, in the vicinity of the Landau level filling factor ν=1/3. In 1983, Laughlin proposed a trial many-body wave function, which he claimed described a “new state of matter”—a homogeneous incompressible liquid with fractionally charged quasiparticles. Here, I develop an exact diagonalization theory that allows one to calculate the energy and other physical properties of the ground and excited states of a system of N two-dimensional Coulomb interacting electrons in a strong magnetic field. I analyze the energies, electron densities, and other physical properties of the systems with N≤7 electrons continuously as a function of magnetic field in the range 1/4≲ν<1. The results show that both the ground and excited states of the system resemble a sliding Wigner crystal whose parameters are influenced by the magnetic field. Energy gaps in the many-particle spectra appear and disappear as the magnetic field changes. I also calculate the physical properties of the ν=1/3 Laughlin state for N≤8 and compare the results with the exact ones. This comparison, as well as an analysis of some other statements published in the literature, show that the Laughlin state and its fractionally charged excitations do not describe the physical reality, neither at small N nor in the thermodynamic limit. The results obtained shed new light on the nature of the ground and excited states in the fractional quantum Hall effect.
The single-particle spectral function for an incompressible fractional quantum Hall state in the presence of a scalar short-ranged attractive impurity potential is calculated via exact diagonalization within the spherical geometry. In contrast to the noninteracting case, where only a single bound state below the lowest Landau level forms, electron–electron interactions strongly renormalize the impurity potential, effectively giving it a finite range, which can support many quasi-bound states (long-lived resonances). Averaging the spectral weights of the quasi-bound states and extrapolating to the thermodynamic limit, for filling factor ν = 1/3 we find evidence consistent with localized fractionally charged e /3 quasi-particles. For ν = 2/5, the results are slightly more ambiguous, due to finite size effects and possible bunching of Laughlin-quasi-particles.
Possible phase transitions between incompressible quantum Hall states and compressible three-dimensional states are discussed for infinite-layer electron systems in strong magnetic field. By variational Monte Carlo calculation, relative stability of some trial states is studied. If the interlayer distance is large enough, the Laughlin state is stabilized for the Landau level filling $\ensuremath{\nu}=1/3$ of each layer. When the interlayer distance is comparable to the magnetic length, the Laughlin state becomes unstable against a different fractional quantum Hall state with interlayer correlation, and/or against a three-dimensional compressible state. It is discussed how the quantum phase transition between them can be controlled in actual systems.
We study the nature of the many-body electron states (and quantum phase transitions between them) in a double-quantum-well structure under a strong external magnetic field as a function of the materials parameters that define the two-layer system, namely, the thickness of individual layers, the separation between them, the individual well potentials confining the electrons, and the potential barrier between them. Motivated by two recent experiments, we consider two different situations, one with (almost) no quantum tunneling between the wells, and the other with substantial interwell quantum tunneling. We use the spherical system finite-size exact diagonalization technique for our calculations. By calculating the overlap of our exact small-system numerical wave functions with various (postulated) analytic wave functions, we comment on the nature of the incompressibility for various Landau-level filling factors (\ensuremath{\nu}). We investigate, in particular details, the possibility of \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 (i.e., 1/4 average occupancy in each well), and, 1 (i.e., 1/2 occupancy in each well) incompressible states where \ensuremath{\nu} is the total filling factor for the system. We also provide results for the \ensuremath{\nu}=2/3 situation. Our conclusion, based on our use of realistic system parameters in our calculations, is that in both the recent experimental realizations of the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 fractional quantum Hall effect, the relevant ground state is the so-called ``331'' state which is stabilized by the competition between intrawell and interwell electron-electron correlations.We calculate for various double-quantum-well structural parameters and magnetic fields the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 excitation spectra and the energy gaps, and compare it with the recent experimental data, obtaining excellent quantitative agreement. We provide a detailed quantum phase diagram for the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 state as a function of the interwell Coulomb interaction and the symmetric-antisymmetric single-particle gap, and find that the \ensuremath{\nu}=1 quantum Hall effect observed in the two recent experiments, in contrast to the \ensuremath{\nu}=1/2 effect, belongs in some sense to two different universality classes. We also predict the existence of a reentrant \ensuremath{\nu}=1 quantum Hall effect in double-quantum-well systems.
Exact diagonalization of a two-dimensional electron gas in a strong magnetic field in the disk geometry shows that there exists a filling-factor range in the second Landau level where the states significantly differ from those in the lowest Landau level. We show that the difference arises because the interaction between composite fermions is not negligible in higher Landau levels, as indicated by a substantial mixing between composite-fermion Landau-like levels, or $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ levels. We find that the exact ground state is well reproduced by composite-fermion theory with $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$-level mixing incorporated at the lowest level of approximation. Using the same variational approach in the spherical geometry we estimate the excitation gap at filling 1∕31∕31∕3 in the second Landau level (which corresponds to 7∕37∕37∕3 of experiment).