Jian Huang (Wayne State)
Date: Mon. March 30th, 2026, 12:45 pm-1:45 pmLocation: rockefeller 221 (Foldy Room) & Zoom
Interaction-Driven Rigidity and Collective Breakdown in a Topological Quantum Hall State
Professor Jian Huang
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Wayne State University
(Host: Shulei Zhang)
Abstract: Topological phases are defined by global invariants, yet stability variations among systems with identical indices suggest mechanisms beyond single-particle theory. I demonstrate that electron–electron interactions primarily regulate the dissipative stability of the = 1 quantum Hall effect. In ultra-clean 2D hole systems, we observe bulk insulation exceeding 100 GΩ — far beyond expectations from Anderson localization — indicating an interaction-stiffened incompressible state. Breakdown occurs via a sharp, reproducible threshold, proceeding through metastable chiral channels linked to skyrmionic excitations. These findings reveal that topological protection is not merely a consequence of a discrete invariant but emerges from the exchange-driven rigidity of the many-body vacuum: a “topological solid” where stability is governed by collective stiffness rather than single-particle localization.