Utilizing large-scale Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate an unconventional two-component classical plasma in two dimensions which controls the behavior of the norms and overlaps of the quantum-mechanical wave functions of Ising-type quantum Hall states. The plasma differs fundamentally from that which is associated with the two-dimensional $XY$ model and Abelian fractional quantum Hall states. We find that this unconventional plasma undergoes a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition from an insulator to a metal. The parameter values corresponding to Ising-type quantum Hall states lie on the metallic side of this transition. This result verifies the required properties of the unconventional plasma used to demonstrate that Ising-type quantum Hall states possess quasiparticles with non-Abelian braiding statistics.Utilizing large-scale Monte Carlo simulations, we investigate an unconventional two-component classical plasma in two dimensions which controls the behavior of the norms and overlaps of the quantum-mechanical wave functions of Ising-type quantum Hall states. The plasma differs fundamentally from that which is associated with the two-dimensional $XY$ model and Abelian fractional quantum Hall states. We find that this unconventional plasma undergoes a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition from an insulator to a metal. The parameter values corresponding to Ising-type quantum Hall states lie on the metallic side of this transition. This result verifies the required properties of the unconventional plasma used to demonstrate that Ising-type quantum Hall states possess quasiparticles with non-Abelian braiding statistics.

arXiv:1111.0135Physical Review BJan 11, 20129 citations

Plasma analogy and non-Abelian statistics for Ising-type quantum Hall states

Parsa Bonderson, Victor Gurarie, Chetan Nayak

We study the non-Abelian statistics of quasiparticles in the Ising-type quantum Hall states which are likely candidates to explain the observed Hall conductivity plateaus in the second Landau level, most notably the one at filling fraction $\ensuremath{\nu}=5/2$. We complete the program started in V. Gurarie and C. Nayak, [Nucl. Phys. B 506, 685 (1997)]. and show that the degenerate four-quasihole and six-quasihole wave functions of the Moore-Read Pfaffian state are orthogonal with equal constant norms in the basis given by conformal blocks in a $c=1+\frac{1}{2}$ conformal field theory. As a consequence, this proves that the non-Abelian statistics of the excitations in this state are given by the explicit analytic continuation of these wave functions. Our proof is based on a plasma analogy derived from the Coulomb gas construction of Ising model correlation functions involving both order and (at most two) disorder operators. We show how this computation also determines the non-Abelian statistics of collections of more than six quasiholes and give an explicit expression for the corresponding conformal block-derived wave functions for an arbitrary number of quasiholes. Our method also applies to the anti-Pfaffian wave function and to Bonderson-Slingerland hierarchy states constructed over the Moore-Read and anti-Pfaffian states.We study the non-Abelian statistics of quasiparticles in the Ising-type quantum Hall states which are likely candidates to explain the observed Hall conductivity plateaus in the second Landau level, most notably the one at filling fraction $\ensuremath{\nu}=5/2$. We complete the program started in V. Gurarie and C. Nayak, [Nucl. Phys. B 506, 685 (1997)]. and show that the degenerate four-quasihole and six-quasihole wave functions of the Moore-Read Pfaffian state are orthogonal with equal constant norms in the basis given by conformal blocks in a $c=1+\frac{1}{2}$ conformal field theory. As a consequence, this proves that the non-Abelian statistics of the excitations in this state are given by the explicit analytic continuation of these wave functions. Our proof is based on a plasma analogy derived from the Coulomb gas construction of Ising model correlation functions involving both order and (at most two) disorder operators. We show how this computation also determines the non-Abelian statistics of collections of more than six quasiholes and give an explicit expression for the corresponding conformal block-derived wave functions for an arbitrary number of quasiholes. Our method also applies to the anti-Pfaffian wave function and to Bonderson-Slingerland hierarchy states constructed over the Moore-Read and anti-Pfaffian states.

arXiv:1008.5194Physical Review BFeb 7, 2011145 citations

Probing Abelian and Non-Abelian Statistics in Fractional Quantum Hall States

K. T. Law

Jan 1, 20080 citations

XY

model and Abelian fractional quantum Hall states. We find that this unconventional plasma undergoes a Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless phase transition from an insulator to a metal. The parameter values corresponding to Ising-type quantum Hall states lie on the metallic side of this transition. This result verifies the required properties of the unconventional plasma used to demonstrate that Ising-type quantum Hall states possess quasiparticles with non-Abelian braiding statistics.

c=1+\frac{1}{2}

conformal field theory. As a consequence, this proves that the non-Abelian statistics of the excitations in this state are given by the explicit analytic continuation of these wave functions. Our proof is based on a plasma analogy derived from the Coulomb gas construction of Ising model correlation functions involving both order and (at most two) disorder operators. We show how this computation also determines the non-Abelian statistics of collections of more than six quasiholes and give an explicit expression for the corresponding conformal block-derived wave functions for an arbitrary number of quasiholes. Our method also applies to the anti-Pfaffian wave function and to Bonderson-Slingerland hierarchy states constructed over the Moore-Read and anti-Pfaffian states.