Interferometry reveals spin-singlet fractional quantum Hall edges in graphene

Abstract

The edge modes of spin-singlet fractional quantum Hall (FQH) phases are manifestations of multicomponent topological order and SU(2) spin symmetry. An archetype is the spin-unpolarized state at $ν$=2/3, whose edge is expected to host spatially coexisting yet counter-propagating charge and neutral spin modes. Despite efforts, its edge properties, including spin coherence and spin-charge separation, have remained elusive owing to the difficulty of resolving spins in FQH edge transport. Here, we develop a spin-sensitive probe of graphene FQH edges by using a p-n junction to interface a target FQH state with a probe integer quantum Hall (QH) state of opposite polarity. An Aharonov-Bohm (AB) interferometer forms along the interface, when the target and probe edge channels carry the same spin. We identify the spin-unpolarized and polarized edges of the $ν$=2/3 states at lower and higher magnetic fields, respectively, through spin-dependent interference. A novel multiparticle AB interference between two electrons of opposite spin emerges from spin-charge separation and recombination on the unpolarized edge, featuring a spin swap. Our results establish edge transport as a probe of spin-singlet topological orders, with implications for parafermion platforms in graphene-superconductor hybrids.