Description
Topological phases are characterized by emergence of topological invariance in
their low-energy, long-distance physics. The very fact that we can postulate
states with properties insensitive to local perturbations itself is remarkable.
Recent proposals for using non-abelian excitations for decoherence free
quantum computation added further enthusiasm. In this talk I will discuss two
candidate systems for hosting non-abelian excitations: fractional quantum Hall
states and Sr2RuO4. I will first give an overview of the connection between
topology and fractionalized excitations and highlight common features between
these two very different systems. Then I will discuss our recent proposal for
detecting non-abelian statistics. Before closing the talk, I will bring out open
questions critical for harnessing and exploiting these exotic excitations.
