Alternation and interchange of e/4 and e/2 period interference oscillations as evidence for filling factor 5/2 non-Abelian quasiparticles

Understand

It is a theoretical conjecture that 5/2 fractional quantum Hall state charge e/4 excitations may obey exotic non-Abelian statistics.

• In edge state interference these purported non-Abelian quasiparticles should display period e/4 Aharonov-Bohm oscillations if the interfering quasiparticle encircles an even number of localized e/4 charges, but suppression of oscillations if an odd number is encircled.
• To test this hypothesis, here we perform swept area interference measurements at 5/2.
• We observe an alternating pattern of e/4 and e/2 period oscillations in resistance.