The half-filled Landau level: The case for Dirac composite fermions

Scott D. Geraedts, Michael P. Zaletel, Roger S.K. Mong, Max A. Metlitski, Ashvin Vishwanath, Olexei I. Motrunich

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

108 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a two-dimensional electron gas under a strong magnetic field, correlations generate emergent excitations distinct from electrons. It has been predicted that "composite fermions" - bound states of an electron with two magnetic flux quanta - can experience zero net magnetic field and form a Fermi sea. Using infinite-cylinder density matrix renormalization group numerical simulations, we verify the existence of this exotic Fermi sea, but find that the phase exhibits particle-hole symmetry. This is self-consistent only if composite fermions are massless Dirac particles, similar to the surface of a topological insulator. Exploiting this analogy, we observe the suppression of 2kF backscattering, a characteristic of Dirac particles. Thus, the phenomenology of Dirac fermions is also relevant to two-dimensional electron gases in the quantum Hall regime.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)197-201
Number of pages5
JournalScience
Volume352
Issue number6282
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 8 2016

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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