Microwave spectroscopic observation of a Wigner solid within the 1/2 fractional quantum Hall effect

The fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE) states at half integer Landau fillings ($ν$) have long been of great interest, since they have correlations that differ from those of the fundamental Laughlin states found at odd denominators. At $ν=1/2$ the FQHE has been observed in wide or double quantum wells, and is ascribed to the two-component Halperin-Laughlin $Ψ_{331}$ state. $Ψ_{331}$ excitations carry charge $\pm e/4$, like the carriers of $ν=5/2$ states which are of interest in quantum computation. Further, such an excitation (quasiparticle or -hole) of $Ψ_{331}$ has unequal, opposite charge in the top and bottom layers, and hence an up or down dipole moment. Here we report evidence for a Wigner solid (WS) of such dipolar quasiholes from a quantitative study of the microwave spectra of a wide quantum well (WQW) at $ν$ close to 1/2.