Aharonov-Bohm Superperiod in a Laughlin Quasiparticle Interferometer

Abstract

We report an Aharonov-Bohm superperiod of five magnetic flux quanta (5h/e) observed in a Laughlin quasiparticle interferometer, where an edge channel of the 1/3 fractional quantum Hall fluid encircles an island of the 2/5 fluid. This result does not violate the gauge invariance argument of the Byers-Yang theorem because the magnetic flux, in addition to affecting the Aharonov-Bohm phase of the encircling 1/3 quasiparticles, creates the 2/5 quasiparticles in the island. The superperiod is accordingly understood as imposed by the anyonic statistical interaction of Laughlin quasiparticles.