S.-R. Eric Yang

S.-R. Eric Yang

Affiliation: Korea University

Research Interests: Condensed Matter Physics

Title: Topological Order and e/2 Fractional Charges in Disordered Graphene Zigzag Nanoribbons

Abstract: There are two types of topological matter in condensed matter physics: symmetry-protected insulators andtopologically ordered insulators. Examples of topologically ordered insulators include superconductors, integer and fractional quantum Hall states, and spin liquids. These phases exhibit non-local topological entanglement entropy, whereas symmetry-protected insulators possess only local entanglement entropy. Recently, my group discovered a new type of topologically ordered insulator: disordered graphene zigzag nanoribbons [1].  This insulator host e/2 fractional charges localized along the zigzag edges. In this talk, I will introduce this subject at a level accessible to incoming graduate students and explore several potential tunneling experiments for detecting e/2 fractional charges. These include the measurement of shot noise, which depends on the charge of the current, and the tunneling of fractional charges, which can lead to a zero-bias anomaly.