  The fractional quantum Hall effect (FQHE), observed in two-dimensional (2D)
charged particles at high magnetic fields, is one of the most fascinating,
macroscopic manifestations of a many-body state stabilized by the strong
Coulomb interaction. It occurs when the filling factor ($\nu$) of the quantized
Landau levels (LLs) is a fraction which, with very few exceptions, has an odd
denominator. In 2D systems with additional degrees of freedom it is possible to
cause a crossing of the LLs at the Fermi level. At and near these crossings,
the FQHE states are often weakened or destroyed. Here we report the observation
of an unusual crossing of the two \emph{lowest-energy} LLs in high-mobility
GaAs 2D $hole$ systems which brings to life a new \emph{even-denominator} FQHE
at $\nu=1/2$.
