Fractional Quantum Hall State at ν = 1/2 with Energy Gap Up to 6 K and Possible Transition from the One- to Two-Component State

The fractional quantum Hall state (FQHS) observed in the lowest Landau level at filling factor ν=1/2 in wide quantum wells has been enigmatic for decades because the two-dimensional electron system (2DES) has a bilayer charge distribution but with significant interlayer tunneling. Of particular interest is whether the 1/2 FQHS in this system has a one-component (1C) or two-component (2C) origin; these are typically identified as the Pfaffian (non-Abelian) or the Ψ331 (Abelian) FQHSs, respectively. We report here our experimental study of the evolution of the correlated states of an ultrahigh-quality 2DES confined to a 72.5-nm-wide GaAs quantum well. At the lowest densities, the 2DES displays only odd-denominator FQHSs, and the ground state at ν=1/2 is a composite fermion Fermi sea. As the density is increased, an FQHS emerges at ν=1/2, and becomes very strong. In a finite density range where the 1/2 FQHS is strongest, we also observe its daughter FQHSs at ν=8/17 and 7/13, consistent with the theoretically expected daughter states of a Pfaffian 1/2 FQHS. At the highest densities, the 2DES becomes 2C, signaled by the emergence of a bilayer Wigner crystal state and the transitions of FQHSs flanking ν=1/2. The 1/2 FQHS remains robust near this transition and, notably, its charge transport energy gap exhibits an upward cusp with a maximum value of about 6 K on the 1C side of the transition; this is the largest gap reported for any even-denominator FQHS. Our observation of the transition of the 2DES ground states near ν=1/2 to 2C states at high densities, and our measurements of the robustness of the 1/2 FQHS against charge distribution asymmetry, suggest that the 1/2 FQHS also makes a transition from 1C to 2C. Such a transition from a non-Abelian to Abelian state can open avenues for topological quantum information and quantum criticality.