Spin-orbit coupling in solids describes an interaction between an electrons spin, an internal quantum-mechanical degree of freedom, with its linear momentum, an external property. Spin-orbit interaction, due to its relativistic nature, is typically s
mall in solids, and is often taken into account perturbatively. It has been recently realized, however, that materials with strong spin-orbit coupling can lead to novel states of matter such as topological insulators and superconductors. This exciting development might lead to a number of useful applications ranging from spintronics to quantum computing. In particular, theory predicts that narrow band gap semiconductors with strong spin-obit coupling are a suitable platform for the realization of Majorana zero-energy modes, predicted to obey exotic non-Abelian braiding statistics. The pursuit for realizing Majorana modes in condensed matter systems and investigating their exotic properties has been a subject of intensive experimental research recently. Here, we demonstrate the first realization of gate-defined wires where one-dimensional confinement is created using electrostatic potentials, on large area InAs two dimensional electron systems (2DESs). The electronic properties of the parent 2DES are fully characterized in the region that wires are formed. The strength of the spin-orbit interaction has been measured and tuned while the high mobility of the 2DES is maintained in the wire. We show that this scheme could provide new prospective solutions for scalable and complex wire networks.
We report the observation of developing fractional quantum Hall states at Landau level filling factors $ u = 1/2$ and 1/4 in electron systems confined to wide GaAs quantum wells with significantly $asymmetric$ charge distributions. The very large ele
ctric subband separation and the highly asymmetric charge distribution at which we observe these quantum Hall states, together with the fact that they disappear when the charge distribution is made symmetric, suggest that these are one-component states, possibly described by the Moore-Read Pfaffian wavefunction.
Magneto-transport measurements on electrons confined to a 57 nm-wide, GaAs quantum well reveal that the correlated electron states at low Landau level fillings ($ u$) display a remarkable dependence on the symmetry of the electron charge distribution
. At a density of $1.93 times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$, a developing fractional quantum Hall state is observed at the even-denominator filling $ u = 1/4$ when the distribution is symmetric, but it quickly vanishes when the distribution is made asymmetric. At lower densities, as we make the charge distribution asymmetric, we observe a rapid strengthening of the insulating phases that surround the $ u = 1/5$ fractional quantum Hall state.
