Composite Fermions for Fractionally Filled Chern Bands

Abstract

We address the question of whether fractionally filled bands with a nontrivial Chern index in zero external field could also exhibit a Fractional Quantum Hall Effect (FQHE). Numerical works suggest this is possible. Analytic treatments are complicated by a non-vanishing band dispersion and a non-constant Berry flux. We propose embedding the Chern band in an auxiliary lowest Landau level (LLL) and then using composite fermions. We find some states which have no analogue in the continuum, and dependent on the interplay between interactions and the lattice. The approach extends to two-dimensional time-reversal invariant topological insulators.

4 pages, 2 figures. Many references added, two figures eliminated