  A standing problem in low dimensional electron systems is the nature of the
5/2 fractional quantum Hall state: its elementary excitations are a focus for
both elucidating the state's properties and as candidates in methods to perform
topological quantum computation. Interferometric devices may be employed to
manipulate and measure quantum Hall edge excitations. Here we use a small area
edge state interferometer designed to observe quasiparticle interference
effects. Oscillations consistent in detail with the Aharanov-Bohm effect are
observed for integer and fractional quantum Hall states (filling factors 2,
5/3, and 7/3) with periods corresponding to their respective charges and
magnetic field positions. With these as charge calibrations, at 5/2 filling
factor and at lowest temperatures periodic transmission through the device
consistent with quasiparticle charge e/4 is observed. The principal finding of
this work is that in addtion to these e/4 oscillations, periodic structures
corresponding to e/2 are also observed at 5/2 and at lowest temperatures.
Properties of the e/4 and e/2 oscillations are examined with the device
sensitivity sufficient to observe temperature evolution of the 5/2
quasiparticle interference. In the model of quasiparticle interference, this
presence of an effective e/2 period may empirically reflect an e/2
quasiparticle charge, or may reflect multiple passes of the e/4 quasiparticle
around the interferometer. These results are discussed within a picture of e/4
quasiparticle excitations potentially possessing non-Abelian statistics. These
studies demonstrate the capacity to perform interferometry on 5/2 excitations
and reveal properties important for understanding this state and its
excitations.
