Novel method distinguishing between competing topological orders

Understand

Quantum Hall states - the progenitors of the growing family of topological insulators -- are rich source of exotic quantum phases.

• The nature of these states is reflected in the gapless edge modes, which in turn can be classified as integer - carrying electrons, fractional - carrying fractional charges; and neutral - carrying excitations with zero net charge but a well-defined amount of heat.
• The latter two may obey anyonic statistics, which can be abelian or non-abelian.
• The most-studied putative non-abelian state is the spin-polarized filling factor {\nu}=5/2, whose charge e/4 quasiparticles are accompanied by neutral modes.