Note to users. If you're seeing this message, it means that your browser cannot find this page's style/presentation instructions -- or possibly that you are using a browser that does not support current Web standards. Find out more about why this message is appearing, and what you can do to make your experience of our site the best it can be.

Science 22 June 1990:
Vol. 248. no. 4962, pp. 1510 - 1516
DOI: 10.1126/science.248.4962.1510
Prev | Table of Contents | Next

Articles

The Fractional Quantum Hall Effect

J. P. Eisenstein 1 and H. L. Stormer 1

1 AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, NJ 07974

Recent research has uncovered a fascinating quantum liquid made up solely of electrons confined to a plane surface. Found only at temperatures near absolute zero and in extremely strong magnetic fields, this liquid can flow without friction. The excited states of this liquid consist of peculiar particle-like objects that carry an exact fraction of an electron charge. Called quasiparticles, these excitations can themselves condense into new liquid states. Each such liquid is characterized by a fractional quantum number that is directly observable in a simple electrical measurement. This article attempts to convey the qualitative essence of this still unfolding phenomenon, known as the fractional quantum Hall effect.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
Electronic states in gallium arsenide quantum wells probed by optically pumped NMR.
R Tycko, S. Barrett, G Dabbagh, L. Pfeiffer, and K. West (1995)
Science 268, 1460-1463
   Abstract »    PDF »
New Quantum Structures.
M. SUNDARAM, S. A. CHALMERS, P. F. HOPKINS, and A. C. GOSSARD (1991)
Science 254, 1326-1335
   Abstract »    PDF »


To Advertise     Find Products

Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)