Angular dependence of magnetoresistance and planar Hall effect in semimetals in strong magnetic fields

Abstract

The semiclassical transport theory is especially powerful for investigating galvanomagnetic effects. Generally, the semiclassical theory is applicable only in weak fields because it does not consider Landau quantization. Herein, we extend the conventional semiclassical theory by considering Landau quantization through the field dependence of carrier density in semimetals. The extended semiclassical theory is applicable even in strong fields, where Landau quantization is noticeable. Using this new approach, we explain the qualitative change in the angular dependence of transverse magnetoresistance (TMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), and planar Hall effect (PHE) in bismuth with an increase in the magnetic field. This unveils the puzzle of nontrivial field-induced changes in TMR, AMR, and PHE observed recently in semimetal bismuth.