Helical quantum Hall phase in graphene on SrTiO 3

Controlling the interactions Near charge neutrality and subject to perpendicular magnetic fields, graphene is expected to become a ferromagnet with edge states not unlike those in two-dimensional topological insulators. Observing this effect experimentally has proven tricky because very large magnetic fields are needed to overcome the effect of electron-electron interactions, which drive the system to competing states. Instead of amping up the field, Veyrat et al. placed their graphene samples on a substrate made out of strontium titanate, which effectively screened the interactions. Transport measurements confirmed the formation of the characteristic edge states. Science , this issue p. 781