Positive Longitudinal Magnetoconductance Research Articles

Weyl points and anomalous transport effects tuned by the Fe doping in Mn3Ge Weyl semimetal

The discovery of a significantly large anomalous Hall effect in the chiral antiferromagnetic system—Mn3Ge—indicates that the Weyl points are widely separated in phase space and positioned near the Fermi surface. In order to examine the effects of Fe substitution in Mn3Ge on the presence and location of the Weyl points, we synthesized (Mn 1−α Fe α)3 Ge ( α=0−0.30 ) compounds. The AHE was observed in compounds up to α = 0.22, but only within the temperature range where the magnetic structure remains the same as the Mn3Ge. Additionally, positive longitudinal magnetoconductance and planar Hall effect (PHE) were detected within the same temperature and doping range. These findings strongly suggest the existence of Weyl points in (Mn 1−α Fe α)3 Ge ( α=0−0.22 ) compounds. Further, we observed that with an increase in Fe doping fraction, there is a significant reduction in the magnitude of anomalous Hall conductivity, PHE, and positive longitudinal magnetoconductance, indicating that the Weyl points move further away from the Fermi surface. Consequently, it can be concluded that suitable dopants in the parent Weyl semimetals have the potential to tune the properties of Weyl points and the resulting anomalous electrical transport effects.

Decoupling intranode and internode scattering in Weyl fermions

A series of recent papers claimed that intranode scattering alone can contribute to positive longitudinal magnetoconductance (LMC) due to the chiral anomaly (CA) in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) in the quasiclassical limit. We revisit the problem of CA-induced LMC in WSMs in the quasiclassical limit and show that intranode scattering, by itself, does not result in enhancement of LMC. In the limit of zero internode scattering, chiral charge must remain conserved, which is shown to actually decrease LMC. Only in the presence of a finite nonzero internode scattering does one obtain a positive LMC due to nonconservation of the chiral charge. Even weak internode scattering suffices in generating positive LMC since it redistributes charges across both the nodes, although on a timescale larger than that of the intranode scattering. Our work is fundamental to correctly interpret the recent experiments on magnetoconductance in Weyl semimetals that claim to have observed chiral anomaly. Furthermore, our calculations reveal that, in contrast to recent works, in inhomogeneous WSMs strain-induced axial magnetic field ${B}_{5}$, by itself, leads to negative longitudinal magnetoconductance and a negative planar Hall conductance.

Positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity induced by chiral magnetic effect in mercury selenide

A negative longitudinal magnetoresistance without any sign of saturation was found in a non-centrosymmetric Weyl semimetal (WSM) candidate mercury selenide in an electron concentration range of 5.5 × 1015–1.7 × 1017 cm−3 and a temperature range of 0.33–150 K. The magnitude of the effect varies with a sample from 10% up to 30% in a magnetic field of 12 T at T = 150 K. Moreover, the positive contribution to magnetoconductivity has a characteristic quadratic dependence on the magnetic field, increasing with a charged center concentration at T = 150 K. The most likely explanation for the discovered longitudinal magnetoconductivity feature lies in the chiral magnetic effect, which is inherent to WSMs. The role of the Dyakonov–Perel mechanism in inter-nodal spin relaxation is discussed in regard to HgSe.

Connection between topological pumping effect and chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals

While the semiclassical Boltzmann approach has been widely adopted to study chiral-anomaly-related transport in Weyl semimetals (WSMs), it predicts an unphysical diverging electrical conductivity when ${E}_{F}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0$, where ${E}_{F}$ is the Fermi energy. Here, we develop a modified semiclassical equation of motion which includes both the diagonal and off-diagonal contributions of the Berry curvature. On this basis, we derive an undivergent classical formula for the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity in a WSM which resolves the conflict between the classical and ultraquantum approaches. We demonstrate that the chiral anomaly is closely related to the topological pumping effect and it can be realized even in the absence of a magnetic field. With our findings we propose a different perspective to understand the topological properties of WSMs and suggest a way to measure the chiral anomaly using transport.

Helical symmetry breaking and quantum anomaly in massive Dirac fermions

Helical symmetry of massive Dirac fermions is broken explicitly in the presence of electric and magnetic fields. Here we present two equations for the divergence of helical and axial-vector currents following the Jackiw-Johnson approach to the anomaly of the neutral axial vector current. We discover the contribution from the helical symmetry breaking is attributed to the occupancy of the two states at the top of the valence band and the bottom of the conduction band. The explicit symmetry breaking fully cancels the anomalous correction from the quantum fluctuation in the band gap. The chiral anomaly can be derived from the helical symmetry breaking. It provides an alternative route to understand the chiral anomaly from the point of view of the helical symmetry breaking. The pertinent physical consequences in condensed matter are the helical magnetic effect which means a charge current circulating at the direction of the magnetic field, and the mass-dependent positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity as a transport signature. The discovery not only reflects anomalous magneto-transport properties of massive Dirac materials but also reveals the close relation between the helical symmetry breaking and the physics of chiral anomaly in quantum field theory and high energy physics.

Nontopological chiral chemical potential due to the Zeeman field in magnetic Weyl semimetals

As condensed-matter manifestations of the chiral anomaly, the coexistence of positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) and the planar Hall effect (PHE) is regarded as a characteristic transport signal for the Weyl semimetal (WSM) phase. By including a finite Newtonian mass into the general linearized WSM model, we derive an analytical expression for the chiral chemical potential, which includes a topological term of the chiral anomaly and a nontopological term. The nontopological term stems from the Zeeman-field-induced tilt of the Weyl cones, which breaks the symmetry of the fermion filling between the Weyl valleys of opposite chiralities and further leads to a chiral chemical potential $\ensuremath{\propto}\mathbit{E}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathbit{B}$, much as the effect of the chiral anomaly. We demonstrate that the resulting LMC is positive and can coexist with the PHE without invoking the mechanism of the chiral anomaly. Hence, the chiral chemical potential might not be exclusively respected to the chiral anomaly. Experimentally, one can distinguish the chiral anomaly from the proposed tilt mechanism by inspecting the dependence of magnetoconductivity on the Fermi energy.

Topological Hall effect in the antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetal EuAgAs

The nontrivial magnetic texture in real space gives rise to the intriguing phenomenon of the topological Hall effect (THE), which is relatively less explored in topological semimetals. Here, we report a large THE in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state in single crystals of EuAgAs, an AFM Dirac semimetal. EuAgAs hosts an AFM ground state below ${T}_{N}=12$ K with a weak ferromagnetic component. The in-plane isothermal magnetization below ${T}_{N}$ exhibits a weak metamagnetic transition. We also observe chiral anomaly induced positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity, which indicates a Weyl fermion state under an applied magnetic field. The first-principles calculations reveal that EuAgAs is an AFM Dirac semimetal with a pair of Dirac cones, and therefore a Weyl semimetallic state can be realized under time-reversal symmetry breaking via an applied magnetic field. Our study establishes that EuAgAs is a system for exploiting the interplay of band topology and the topology of the magnetic texture.

Magnetic-field-dependent intervalley relaxation time in Weyl semimetals

The zeroth Landau levels in Weyl semimetals (WSMs) are singular, which result in the anomalous nonsaturated positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC). The LMC exhibits periodic-in-$1/B$ quantum oscillations attributable to the the oscillating electron density of states in a magnetic field. The intervalley relaxation time ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{a}$ is a key material parameter determining the magnitude of the LMC directly. In existing theories of the LMC, the magnetic field dependence of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{a}$ is usually neglected. Based upon the Boltzmann equation, we derive analytical expression for the intervalley relaxation time for short-range impurity scattering potential and arbitrary magnetic field strength. Taking the magnetic field dependence of ${\ensuremath{\tau}}^{a}$ into consideration, we find that the quantum oscillations of the LMC are enhanced. Numerical calculations are also carried out to verify the analytical derivations. Moreover, we provide an explanation for the anomalous behavior of the LMC observed in WSMs that the amplitude of LMC first increases and then decreases with increasing temperature.

π Oscillation phase shift between transverse and longitudinal magnetoconductivities in Weyl semimetals

In the presence of a magnetic field $\mathbf{B}$, the negative transverse magnetoconductivity (TMC) for $\mathbf{E}\ensuremath{\perp}\mathbf{B}$, with $\mathbf{E}$ being the applied electric field, and anomalous positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) for $\mathbf{E}\ensuremath{\parallel}\mathbf{B}$ of a three-dimensional (3D) Weyl semimetal (WSM) both exhibit periodic-in-$1/B$ quantum oscillations. We develop a semiclassical theory of the magnetoconductivities of a 3D WSM, taking into account the effect of the Landau level broadening and finite temperatures. We find that if one fixes the direction of $\mathbf{B}$ and switches the direction of $\mathbf{E}$ to be perpendicular and parallel to $\mathbf{B}$, there exists an interesting peak-valley correspondence, or, say, a relative $\ensuremath{\pi}$ oscillation phase shift, between the oscillating TMC and LMC. This can serve as unambiguous measurable evidence manifesting the distinct underlying physical mechanisms of the TMC and LMC in WSMs, which has so far not been reported in theories or experiments.

Chiral-anomaly-induced angular narrowing of the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity in Weyl semimetals

The authors develop a method for magnetotransport study in finite-size systems and use it to evaluate magnetoconductivity of a disordered Weyl semimetal for both the ballistic and diffusive regimes.

Negative longitudinal magnetoconductance at weak fields in Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals are topological materials that provide a condensed-matter realization of the chiral anomaly. A positive longitudinal magnetoconductance quadratic in magnetic field has been promoted as a diagnostic for this anomaly. By solving the Boltzmann equation analytically, we show that the magnetoconductance can become negative in the experimentally relevant semiclassical regime of weak magnetic fields. This effect is due to the simultaneous presence of the Berry phase and the orbital magnetic moment of carriers and occurs for sufficiently strong intervalley scattering.

Transitions of the anomalous positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity of a Weyl semimetal in an ac electric field

Considering the Landau quantization and chiral anomaly, we develop a semiclassical theory of the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) of a Weyl semimetal induced by the chiral anomaly in an ac driving electric field. We find that for low angular frequencies, the anomalous LMC behaves in the same manner as in the dc case. However, the LMC decreases rapidly to zero with increasing the angular frequency of the electric field to be above a critical frequency, which is equal to the inverse of the intervalley relaxation time. With further increasing the frequency, the zero-magnetic-field conductivity diminishes above a critical frequency, which is equal to the inverse of the intravalley relaxation time. The two distinct transitions might be observed experimentally, so that the intervalley and intravalley relaxation times can be determined directly, which are considered to be two key parameters controlling the anomalous positive LMC effect in existing theories.

Transverse thermopower in Dirac and Weyl semimetals

Dirac semimetals (DSM) and Weyl semimetal (WSM) fall under the generic class of three-dimensional solids, which follow relativistic energy-momentum relation $\epsilon_\mathbf{k}= \hbar v_F |\mathbf{k}|$ at low energies. Such a linear dispersion when regularized on a lattice can lead to remarkable properties such as the anomalous Hall effect, presence of Fermi surface arcs, positive longitudinal magnetoconductance, and dynamic chiral magnetic effect. The last two properties arise due to the manifestation of chiral anomaly in these semimetals, which refers to the non-conservation of chiral charge in the presence of electromagnetic gauge fields. Here, we propose the planar Nernst effect, or transverse thermopower, as another consequence of chiral anomaly, which should occur in both Dirac and Weyl semimetals. We analytically calculate the planar Nernst coefficient for DSMs (type-I and type-II) and also WSMs (type-I and type-II), using a quasi-classical Boltzmann formalism. The planar Nernst effect manifests in a configuration when the applied temperature gradient, magnetic field, and the measured voltage are all co-planar, and is of distinct origin when compared to the anomalous and conventional Nernst effects. Our findings, specifically a 3D map of the planar Nernst coefficient in type-I Dirac semimetals (Na$_3$Bi, Cd$_3$As$_2$ etc) and type-II DSM (PdTe$_2$, VAI3 etc), can be verified experimentally by an in-situ 3D double-axis rotation extracting the full $4\pi$ solid angular dependence of the Nernst coefficient.

Quantum oscillation modulated angular dependence of the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity and planar Hall effect in Weyl semimetals

We study the positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) and planar Hall effect as emergent effects of the chiral anomaly in Weyl semimetals, following a recent-developed theory by integrating the Landau quantization with Boltzmann equation. It is found that, in the weak magnetic field regime, the LMC and planar Hall conductivity (PHC) obey $\cos^{6}\theta$ and $\cos^{5}\theta\sin \theta$ dependences on the angle $\theta$ between the magnetic and electric fields. For higher magnetic fields, the LMC and PHC cross over to $\cos^{2}\theta$ and $\cos\theta\sin\theta$ dependences, respectively. Interestingly, the PHC could exhibit quantum oscillations with varying $\theta$, due to the periodic-in-$1/B$ oscillations of the chiral chemical potential. When the magnetic and electric fields are noncollinear, the LMC and PHC will deviate from the classical $B$-quadratic dependence, even in the weak magnetic field regime.

Quantum Oscillations of the Positive Longitudinal Magnetoconductivity: A Fingerprint for Identifying Weyl Semimetals.

Weyl semimetals (WSMs) host charged Weyl fermions as emergent quasiparticles. We develop a unified analytical theory for the anomalous positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity (LMC) in a WSM, which bridges the gap between the classical and ultraquantum approaches. More interestingly, the LMC is found to exhibit periodic-in-1/B quantum oscillations, originating from the oscillations of the nonequilibrium chiral chemical potential. The quantum oscillations, superposed on the positive LMC, are a remarkable fingerprint of a WSM phase with a chiral anomaly, whose observation is a valid criteria for identifying a WSM material. In fact, such quantum oscillations were already observed by several experiments.

Giant anomalous Nernst effect and quantum-critical scaling in a ferromagnetic semimetal

In metallic ferromagnets, the Berry curvature of underlying quasiparticles can cause an electric voltage perpendicular to both magnetization and an applied temperature gradient, a phenomenon called the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE). Here, we report the observation of a giant ANE in the full-Heusler ferromagnet Co$_2$MnGa, reaching $S_{yx}\sim -6$ $\mu$V/K at room $T$, one order of magnitude larger than the maximum value reported for a magnetic conductor. With increasing temperature, the transverse thermoelectric conductivity or Peltier coefficient $\alpha_{yx}$ shows a crossover between $T$-linear and $-T \log(T)$ behaviors, indicating the violation of Mott formula at high temperatures. Our numerical and analytical calculations indicate that the proximity to a quantum Lifshitz transition between type-I and type-II magnetic Weyl fermions is responsible for the observed crossover properties and an enhanced $\alpha_{yx}$. The $T$ dependence of $\alpha_{yx}$ in experiments and numerical calculations can be understood in terms of a quantum critical scaling function predicted by the low energy effective theory over more than a decade of temperatures. Moreover, the observation of chiral anomaly or an unsaturated positive longitudinal magnetoconductance also provide evidence for the existence of Weyl fermions in Co$_2$MnGa.

Chiral Anomaly as the Origin of the Planar Hall Effect in Weyl Semimetals.

In condensed matter physics, the term "chiral anomaly" implies the violation of the separate number conservation laws of Weyl fermions of different chiralities in the presence of parallel electric and magnetic fields. One effect of the chiral anomaly in the recently discovered Dirac and Weyl semimetals is a positive longitudinal magnetoconductance. Here we show that chiral anomaly and nontrivial Berry curvature effects engender another striking effect in Weyl semimetals, the planar Hall effect (PHE). Remarkably, the PHE manifests itself when the applied current, magnetic field, and the induced transverse "Hall" voltage all lie in the same plane, precisely in a configuration in which the conventional Hall effect vanishes. In this work we treat the PHE quasiclassically, and predict specific experimental signatures for type-I and type-II Weyl semimetals that can be directly checked in experiments.

Chiral anomaly and longitudinal magnetotransport in type-II Weyl semimetals

In the presence of parallel electric and magnetic fields, the violation of separate number conservation laws for the three dimensional left and right handed Weyl fermions is known as the chiral anomaly. The recent discovery of Weyl and Dirac semimetals has paved the way for experimentally testing the effects of chiral anomaly via longitudinal magneto-transport measurements. More recently, a type-II Weyl semimetal (WSM) phase has been proposed, where the nodal points possess a finite density of states due to the touching between electron- and hole- pockets. It has been suggested that the main difference between the two types of WSMs (type-I and type-II) is that in the latter, chiral anomaly and the associated longitudinal magneto-resistance are strongly anisotropic, vanishing when the applied magnetic field is perpendicular to the direction of tilt of Weyl fermion cones in a type-II WSM. We analyze chiral anomaly in a type-II WSM in quasiclassical Boltzmann framework, and find that the chiral anomaly induced positive longitudinal magneto-conductivity is present along any arbitrary direction.

Linear magnetochiral effect in Weyl semimetals

We suggest the possibility of a linear magnetochiral effect in time reversal breaking Weyl semimetals. Generically the magnetochiral effect consists in a simultaneous linear dependence of the magnetotransport coefficients with the magnetic field and a momentum vector. This simultaneous dependence is allowed by the Onsager reciprocity relations, being the separation vector between the Weyl nodes the vector that plays such role. As a side consequence, we find a non vanishing positive longitudinal magnetoconductivity at Fermi energies above the point where the chirality of the Weyl nodes is globally lost.

Surface effects on nanowire transport: a numerical investigation using the Boltzmannequation

A direct numerical solution of the steady-state Boltzmann equation in a cylindricalgeometry is reported. Finite-size effects are investigated in large semiconducting nanowiresusing the relaxation-time approximation. A nanowire is modelled as a combination of aninterior with local transport parameters identical to those in the bulk, and a finite surfaceregion across whose width the carrier density decays radially to zero. The roughness of thesurface is incorporated by using lower relaxation times there than in the interior.An argument supported by our numerical results challenges a commonly used zero-widthparametrization of the surface layer (Chambers 1950 Proc. R. Soc. A 202 378). In thenon-degenerate limit, appropriate for moderately doped semiconductors, a finite surfacewidth model does produce a positive longitudinal magneto-conductance, in agreementwith existing theory of Chambers. However, the effect is seen to be quite small(a few per cent) for realistic values of the wire parameters even at the highestpractical magnetic fields. Physical insights emerging from the results are discussed.