De Haas Oscillations Research Articles

Shifted Landau ladders and low field magneto-oscillations in high-mobility GaAs 2D hole systems

We present well-developed low-field magneto-resistance oscillations originating from zero-field spin splitting (ZFSS) of heavy holes in high mobility GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. This low field oscillation is 1/B-periodic and emerges before the onset of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. The effect can be explained by resonant scattering between two Landau ladders shifted by the ZFSS gap, which in turn can be measured by comparing with the hole cyclotron energy. A front gate is fabricated to tune the ZFSS and hence the oscillation period.

Magnetoresistance oscillations in MBE-grown Sb2Te3 thin films

We report on the Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations in the longitudinal resistance of thin films of three-dimensional topological insulator Sb2Te3 grown by means of molecular beam epitaxy. The oscillations persist up to the temperatures of 30 K, and the measurements at various tilt angles reveal that they originate from a two-dimensional system. Using a top gate, we further study the change of oscillation amplitude and frequency, which in combination with the standard Hall measurements suggest the origin of oscillations to be at the interface between the film and the Si substrate.

Electron scattering in tantalum monoarsenide

We report comprehensive studies of the single crystal growth and electrical transport properties for various samples of TaAs, the first experimentally confirmed inversion symmetry-breaking Weyl semimetal. The transport parameters for different samples are obtained through the fitting of the two band model and the analysis of Shubnikov de Haas oscillations. We find that the ratio factor of transport lifetime to quantum lifetime is intensively enhanced when the Fermi level approaches the Weyl node. This result is consistent with the side-jump interpretation derived from a chirality-protected shift in the scattering process for a Weyl semimetal.

Effect of Sb substitution on the topological surface states in Bi2Se3 single crystals: a magneto-transport study

Magneto-transport measurements have been carried out on Bi2−xSbxSe3 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5) single crystals at 4.2 K temperature in the magnetic field range of −15 T to 15 T. Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations of 2D nature were observed in samples with Sb concentration upto x = 0.3. The analyses of SdH oscillations observed in magneto-resistance data using Lifshitz–Kosevich equation reveal a systematic decrease in the Fermi surface area with Sb substitution. The Berry phase obtained from the Landau level fan diagram suggests the occurrence of 2D oscillations arising from a topological surface state (TSS) for Sb concentrations of x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1; while 2D oscillation seen at higher Sb concentration is attributed to surface 2D electron gas consequent to downward band bending.

Weak Anti-Localization and Quantum Oscillations in Topological Crystalline Insulator PbTe**Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos 10675023, 11075018, 11375028 and 11675020, and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education under Grant No 20120003110011.

Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) have attracted worldwide interest since their theoretical predication and have created exciting opportunities for studying topological quantum physics and for exploring spintronic applications. In this work, we successfully synthesize PbTe nanowires via the chemical vapor deposition method and demonstrate the existence of topological surface states by their 2D weak anti-localization effect and Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations. More importantly, the surface state contributes ∼61% of the total conduction, suggesting dominant surface transport in PbTe nanowires at low temperatures. Our work provides an experimental groundwork for researching TCIs and is a step forward for the applications of PbTe nanowires in spintronic devices.

Quantum oscillations in metallicSb2Te2Setopological insulator

We have studied the magnetotransport properties of the metallic, p-type Sb2Te2Se which is a topological insulator. Magnetoresistance shows Shubnikov de Haas oscillations in fields above B=15 T. The maxima/minima positions of oscillations measured at different tilt angles with respect to the B direction align with the normal component of field Bcosine, implying the existence of a 2D Fermi surface in Sb2Te2Se. The value of the Berry phase determined from a Landau level fan diagram is very close to 0.5, further suggesting that the oscillations result from topological surface states. From Lifshitz-Kosevich analyses, the position of the Fermi level is found to be EF =250 meV, above the Dirac point. This value of EF is almost 3 times as large as that in our previous study on the Bi2Se2:1Te0:9 topological insulator; however, it still touches the tip of the bulk valence band. This explains the metallic behavior and hole-like bulk charge carriers in the Sb2Te2Se compound.

Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations and electronic correlations in the layered organic metal κ-(BETS)2 Mn[N(CN)2

We present magnetoresistance studies of the quasi-two-dimensional organic conductor κ-(BETS)2Mn[N(CN)2]3, where BETS stands for bis(ethylenedithio)tetraselenafulvalene. Under a moderate pressure of 1.4 kbar, required for stabilizing the metallic ground state, Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations, associated with a classical and a magnetic-breakdown cyclotron orbits on the cylindrical Fermi surface, have been found at fields above 10 T. The effective cyclotron masses evaluated from the temperature dependence of the oscillation amplitudes reveal strong renormalization due to many-body interactions. The analysis of the relative strength of the oscillations corresponding to the different orbits and of its dependence on magnetic field suggests an enhanced role of electron-electron interactions on flat parts of the Fermi surface.

Temperature dependence of electron density and electron–electron interactions in monolayer epitaxial graphene grown on SiC

We report carrier density measurements and electron–electron (e–e) interactions in monolayer epitaxial graphene grown on SiC. The temperature (T)-independent carrier density determined from the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations clearly demonstrates that the observed logarithmic temperature dependence of the Hall slope in our system must be due to e–e interactions. Since the electron density determined from conventional SdH measurements does not depend on e–e interactions based on Kohn’s theorem, SdH experiments appear to be more reliable compared with the classical Hall effect when one studies the T dependence of the carrier density in the low T regime. On the other hand, the logarithmic T dependence of the Hall slope δRxy/δB can be used to probe e–e interactions even when the conventional conductivity method is not applicable due to strong electron–phonon scattering.

Quantum oscillations in a lead chalcogenide three-dimensional Dirac system

The de Haas–van Alphen (dHvA) and the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations were used to probe the properties of the Fermi surface in single crystals of Pb0.83Sn0.17Se with reduced charge concentration. Pronounced low-frequency oscillations of ∼8 T in the [001] direction were observed, confirming the single Fermi surface cross section. Due to the low effective charge concentration, the ultraquantum limit is reached already at ∼10 T. We observe π-Berry phase shift in the phase of both dHvA and SdH oscillations, which confirms the 3D Dirac nature of the energy band dispersion. In the construction of the Landau level diagram we use a combined indexing method for conductivity, magnetic susceptibility, and magnetization, which is based on the indexing used in the topological insulators. Moreover, the reliability of the indexing method is increased because we use, beside minima and maxima, zeros of the oscillations as well. Different microscopic parameters were calculated from the quantum oscillations in the magnetization, conductivity, and resistivity.

Crystal growth of Dirac semimetal ZrSiS with high magnetoresistance and mobility

High quality single crystal ZrSiS as a theoretically predicted Dirac semimetal has been grown successfully using a vapor phase transport method. The single crystals of tetragonal structure are easy to cleave into perfect square-shaped pieces due to the van der Waals bonding between the sulfur atoms of the quintuple layers. Physical property measurement results including resistivity, Hall coefficient (RH), and specific heat are reported. The transport and thermodynamic properties suggest a Fermi liquid behavior with two Fermi pockets at low temperatures. At T = 3 K and magnetic field of Hǁc up to 9 Tesla, large magneto-resistance up to 8500% and 7200% for Iǁ(100) and Iǁ(110) were found. Shubnikov de Haas (SdH) oscillations were identified from the resistivity data, revealing the existence of two Fermi pockets at the Fermi level via the fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis. The Hall coefficient (RH) showed hole-dominated carriers with a high mobility of 3.05 × 104 cm2V−1s−1 at 3 K. ZrSiS has been confirmed to be a Dirac semimetal by the Dirac cone mapping near the X-point via angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) with a Dirac nodal line near the Fermi level identified using scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS).

FIB synthesis of Bi2Se3 1D nanowires demonstrating the co-existence of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations and linear magnetoresistance

Since the discovery of topological insulators (TIs), there are considerable interests in demonstrating metallic surface states (SS), their shielded robust nature to the backscattering and study their properties at nanoscale dimensions by fabricating nanodevices. Here we address an important scientific issue related to TI whether one can clearly demonstrate the robustness of topological surface states (TSS) to the presence of disorder that does not break any fundamental symmetry. The simple straightforward method of FIB milling was used to synthesize nanowires of Bi2Se3 which we believe is an interesting route to test robustness of TSS and the obtained results are new compared to many of the earlier papers on quantum transport in TI demonstrating the robustness of metallic SS to gallium (Ga) doping. In the presence of perpendicular magnetic field, we have observed the co-existence of Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations and linear magnetoresistance (LMR), which was systematically investigated for different channel lengths, indicating the Dirac dispersive surface states. The transport properties and estimated physical parameters shown here demonstrate the robustness of SS to the fabrication tools triggering flexibility to explore new exotic quantum phenomena at nanodevice level.

Observation of quantum Hall effect in a microstrained Bi2Se3 single crystal

We report the observation of quantum Hall effect (QHE) in a Bi2Se3 single crystal having carrier concentration (n)∼1.13×1019cm−3, three dimensional Fermi surface and bulk transport characteristics. The plateaus in Hall resistivity coincide with minima of Shubnikov de Haas oscillations in resistivity. Our results demonstrate that the presence of perfect two dimensional transport is not an essential condition for QHE in Bi2Se3. The results of high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and residual resistivity measurements show the presence of enhanced crystalline defects and microstrain. We discuss the possible origin of the observed QHE and correlate its existence to the crystalline defects.

On the berry phase in quantum oscillations observed in 3D topological insulators

It is demonstrated that the copper-doped high-quality Bi Se single crystals with a high density of bulk charge carriers are certainly 3D topological insulators. The analysis of quantum Shubnikov−de Haas (SdH) oscillations reveals that these materials simultaneously exhibit two types of such oscillations determined by the Landau levels related to both the 3D and 2D Fermi surfaces.

Magnetotransport properties near the Dirac point of Dirac semimetal Cd3As2 nanowires

Three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetals are featured by 3D linear energy-momentum dispersion relation, which have been proposed to be a desirable system to study Dirac fermions in 3D space and Weyl fermions in solid-state materials. Significantly, to reveal exotic transport properties of Dirac semimetals, the Fermi level should be close to the Dirac point, around which the linear dispersion is retained. Here we report the magnetotransport properties near the Dirac point in Cd3As2 nanowires, manifesting the evolution of band structure under magnetic field. Ambipolar field effect is observed with the Dirac point at Vg = 3.9 V. Under high magnetic field, there is a resistivity dip in transfer curve at the Dirac point, which is caused by the Zeeman splitting enhanced density of state around the Dirac point. Furthermore, the low carrier density in the nanowires makes it feasible to enter into the quantum limit regime, resulting in the quantum linear magnetoresistance being observed even at room temperature. Besides, the dramatic reduction of bulk conductivity due to the low carrier density, together with a large surface to volume ratio of the nanowire, collectively help to reveal the Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations from the surface states. Our studies on transport properties around the Dirac point therefore provide deep insights into the emerging exotic physics of Dirac and Weyl fermions.

InAs/GaSb/AlSb composite quantum well structure preparation with help of reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy

Magnetotransport, optical, spin-dependent and topological properties of the composite InAs/GaSb/AlSb quantum wells based on the broken-gap heterojunctions have been actively studied during the last two decades as promising materials for spintronic and nanoelectronic applications.Mostly the structures were prepared by MBE, since preparing heterostructures of this materials system by MOVPE presents several challenges. We have successfully prepared by MOVPE structures with broken gap InAs/GaSb composite quantum wells surrounded by AlSb barriers on InAs and GaSb substrates. The whole process of structure preparation was optimized with help of in situ LayTec Epiras measurements. Suitable interfaces, switching sequences, growth rates and suitable precursors for the growth of the structure are discussed. The quality of the structure was checked by electron paramagnetic resonance for differently oriented magnetic field up to 14kOe at temperatures from 2.7K to 20K. Intense Shubnikov de Haas oscillations appeared at low temperatures and helped us characterize the properties of the structure.

Magnetotransport in thin epitaxial Bi2Se3 films

The magnetoconductivity of thin Bi2Se3 films covered by a protective Se layer and grown at (111) BaF2 substrates is studied. It is shown that the negative magnetoconductivity observed at low magnetic fields and caused by the effect of weak antilocalization, as well as the Shubnikov−de Haas oscillations at higher fields, is determined only by the magnetic field component perpendicular to the film plane. The obtained experimental results can be reasonably interpreted under the assumption that the studied films exhibit two-dimensional topologically protected electron states. Moreover, the contribution of these states to the total conductivity turns out to be the dominant one.

Microwave radiation absorption by 2D-electrons in the type II composite InAs/GaSb/AlSb quantum wells in a magnetic field

Strong Shubnikov - de Haas (SdH) oscillations were observed in the derivative of microwave absorption (f = 10 GHz) in the InAs/GaSb/AlSb composite quantum wells (CQWs) using electron-paramagnetic-resonance spectroscopy at low temperatures (2.7-20 K) and in the magnetic field up to 14 kOe. CQWs were grown on the n-GaSb:Te(100) and n-InAs:Mn(100) substrates with various width of QWs by MOVPE. Predominance contribution of the bulk n- GaSb substrate in SdH oscillations was manifested. Two frequencies of the SdH oscillations were found from Fourier analysis, which is connected to warping of the Fermi surface of GaSb. Unusual angular indicatrix was observed in dependence on orientation of the samples in the magnetic field. Obtained results can be explained by inversion asymmetry, which is a feature of the substances with lack of inversion centres. For CQWs grown on n-InAs:Mn (ns = 1.1 × 1017 cm-3) substrate, only several SdH oscillations with higher period were observed. Taking into account isotropic Fermi surface of bulk InAs, we succeeded to extract a contribution of the 2D carriers of InAs QW ∼ H⊥, where H⊥= HconstcosΘ, from bulk substrate oscillations using special spline interpolation from angular dependence of SdH oscillatory amplitudes in the angle range 0-90°. 2D electron concentration in the InAs QW ns ≈ 1 - 3 × 1011 cm-2 was evaluated from oscillatory period.

Observation of quasi-two-dimensional Dirac fermions in ZrTe5

Since the discovery of graphene, layered materials have attracted extensive interest owing to their unique electronic and optical characteristics. Among them, Dirac semimetals, one of the most appealing categories, have been a long-sought objective in layered systems beyond graphene. Recently, layered pentatelluride ZrTe5 was found to host signatures of a Dirac semimetal. However, the low Fermi level in ZrTe5 strongly hinders a comprehensive understanding of the whole picture of electronic states through photoemission measurements, especially in the conduction band. Here, we report the observation of Dirac fermions in ZrTe5 through magneto-optics and magneto-transport. By applying a magnetic field, we observe a dependence of the inter-Landau-level resonance and Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations with a nontrivial Berry phase, both of which are hallmarks of Dirac fermions. The angle-dependent SdH oscillations show a clear quasi-two-dimensional feature with a highly anisotropic Fermi surface and band topology, in stark contrast to the three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal such as Cd3As2. This is further confirmed by the angle-dependent Berry phase measurements and the observation of bulk quantum Hall effect (QHE) plateaus. The unique band dispersion is theoretically understood: the system is at the critical point between a 3D Dirac semimetal and a topological insulator phase. With the confined interlayer dispersion and reducible dimensionality, our work establishes ZrTe5 as an ideal platform for exploring the exotic physical phenomena of Dirac fermions. The presence of fast, effectively massless electrons in layered zirconium pentatelluride (ZrTe5) crystals has been confirmed. The one-atom-thick structure of graphene enables its electrons to travel much faster than typical materials, and device designers are hunting for other layered crystals that have similar ‘Dirac fermions’. By performing magneto-optical and magneto-transport measurements, Faxian Xiu from Fudan University in China and co-workers have uncovered key signatures of electrons moving at relativistic speeds in the intriguing thermoelectric material ZrTe5. Because previous investigations of this phenomenon were hampered by ZrTe5's hard-to-access Fermi level, the team used magnetic fields to induce characteristic resonance and oscillation signals. These experiments revealed that these Dirac fermions had quasi-two-dimensional behaviour and unusual interlayer characteristics, which merit further theoretical studies and exploration of possible device applications. ZrTe5 has attracted intensive research interests because of the potential topological property. Here based on the transports and optic experiments, we observe unusual Landau quantization, non-trivial Berry phase and highly anisotropic carrier mass, which reveals quasi-two-dimensional Dirac fermions in bulk ZrTe5. The system is understood as locating at the critical point between a three-dimensional (3D) Dirac semimetal and a topological insulator. New physics or device application can be possibly realized in this quasi-2D ultra-relativistic system beyond graphene.

The transport properties of Dirac fermions in chemical vapour-deposited single-layer graphene

The electronic transport properties of Dirac fermions in chemical vapour-deposited single-layer epitaxial graphene on anSiO2/Si substrate have been investigated using the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations technique. The magnetoresistance measurements were performed in the temperature range between 1.8 and 43 K and at magnetic fields up to 11 T. The 2D carrier density and the Fermi energy have been determined from the period of the SdH oscillations. In addition, the in-plane effective mass as well as the quantum lifetime of 2D carriers have been calculated from the temperature and magnetic field dependences of the SdH oscillation amplitude. The sheet carrier density (1.42 × 1013 cm−2 at 1.8 K), obtained from the low-field Hall Effect measurements, is larger than that of 2D carrier density (8.13 × 1012 cm−2). On the other hand, the magnetoresistance includes strong magnetic field dependent positive, non-oscillatory background magnetoresistance. The strong magnetic field dependence of the magnetoresistance and the differences between sheet carrier and 2D carrier density can be attributed to the 3D carriers between the graphene sheet and the SiO2/Si substrate.

Strain induced novel quantum magnetotransport properties of topological insulators

Recent theoretical and experimental researches have revealed that the strained bulk HgTe can be regarded as a three-dimensional topological insulator (TI). Motivated by this, we explore the strain effects on the transport properties of the HgTe surface states, which are modulated by a weak 1D in-plane electrostatic periodic potential in the presence of a perpendicular magnetic field. We analytically derive the zero frequency (dc) diffusion conductivity for the case of quasielastic scattering in the Kubo formalism, and find that, in strong magnetic field regime, the Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations are superimposed on top of the Weiss oscillations due to the electric modulation for null and finite strain. Furthermore, the strain is shown to remove the degeneracy in inversion symmetric Dirac cones on the top and bottom surfaces. This accordingly gives rise to the splitting and mixture of Landau levels, and the asymmetric spectrum of the dc conductivity. These phenomena, not known in a conventional 2D electron gas and even in a strainless TI and graphene, are a consequence of the anomalous spectrum of surface states in a fully stained TI. These results should be valuable for electronic and spintronic applications of TIs, and thus we fully expect to see them in the further experiment.