Fractional quantum Hall effect in a relativistic field theory

Abstract

We construct a class of 2+1 dimensional relativistic quantum field theories which exhibit the Fractional Quantum Hall Effect in the infrared, both in the continuum and on the lattice. The UV completion consists of a perturbative $U(1)\times U(1)$ gauge theory with only integer-charged fields, while the low energy spectrum consists of nontrivial topological phases supporting fractional currents, fractionally charged chiral surface modes and bulk anyonic excitations. Exotic phenomena such as a Fractional Quantum Spin Hall Effect can arise in such models.