Fractionally charged anyon generated by topological path fusion in magnetic flux lattice

TL;DR

This paper introduces a topological fusion theory explaining the origin of fractional charges in quantum Hall systems, predicts new fractional charges, and suggests universal fractionalization phenomena applicable to various quantum materials.

Contribution

It develops a novel topological path fusion framework that accounts for known fractional charges and predicts new irrational and fractional charges in diverse lattice systems.

Findings

Reproduces all known fractional charges in FQHE

Predicts new fractional charges including irrational ones

Establishes a universal topological origin of fractionalization

Abstract

Anyon usually exists as collective excitation of two dimensional electron gas subjected to strong magnetic field, carrying fractional charges and exotic statistical character beyond fermion and boson. Fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) is the only experimental system showing solid evidence of anyon and a serial of fractional charges so far. Searching for new serial of fractional charges in FQHE or other physical system is still a challenge for both theoretical and experimental study. Here a topological fusion theory of propagating paths winding around a pair of fluxes is proposed to explore the physical origin of fractional charges. This topological path fusion theory not only generated all of the existed serial of fractional charges in FQHE and found the exact correspondence between FQHE and integral quantum Hall effect (IQHE), but also predicted new serial of fractional charges in FQHE. Further more, serial irrational charges like $2/(3+\sqrt{2})$ in one dimensional lattice of magnetic fluxes as well as that in two dimensional lattice of magnetic fluxes, such as $(1+\sqrt{2})$, are predicted. Even in three dimensional network of magnetic fluxes, a serial of fractionally charged anyon is predicted by this topological path fusion theory, which has exactly correspondence with the knot lattice model of anyon. In fact, in a multi-connected space time without magnetic field, this topological path fusion theory still holds, revealing an universal existence of fractional charge and mass in quantum material with strong confinement of particles (such as photonic crystal with porous nano-structures) and paving a new way for topological quantum computation.