Enigmatic 4/11 State: A Prototype for Unconventional Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

TL;DR

This paper proposes an unconventional explanation for the fractional quantum Hall effect at 4/11, suggesting it arises from a novel interaction mechanism among composite fermions, differing from traditional theories.

Contribution

It introduces a new theoretical framework showing FQHE at 4/11 results from suppression of pairs with relative angular momentum three, confirming an exotic mechanism.

Findings

FQHE at 4/11 can occur with fully spin polarized composite fermions

The mechanism involves suppression of pairs with angular momentum three

Prediction of a phase transition at a specific Zeeman energy

Abstract

The origin of fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) at 4/11 and 5/13 has remained controversial. We make a compelling case that FQHE is possible here for fully spin polarized composite fermions, but with an unconventional underlying physics. Thanks to a rather unusual interaction between composite fermions, FQHE here results from the suppression of pairs with relative angular momentum {\em three} rather than one, confirming the exotic mechanism proposed by W\'ojs, Yi and Quinn [Phys. Rev. B {\bf 69}, 205322 (2004)]. We predict that the 4/11 state reported a decade ago by Pan {\em et al.} [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf 90}, 016801 (2003)] is a conventional partially spin polarized FQHE of composite fermions, and estimate the Zeeman energy where a phase transition into the unconventional fully spin polarized state will occur.