Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance Research Articles

Quantum linear magnetoresistance and magnetic-field-induced metal–insulator transition in the Weyl semimetal candidate HgSe

In ultrapure single HgSe crystal, a large linear magnetoresistance with a record magnitude of 15 000% in mercury chalcogenides was discovered in a quantum limit at the magnetic field of 12 T in the temperature range of 20–40 K. The effect was described in terms of Abrikosov's theory of quantum linear magnetoresistance, thus providing its first experimental confirmation. In the temperature range of 0.4–4.2 K, a magnetic field-induced metal–insulator transition appeared in the ultrapure HgSe. Estimates show that the critical magnetic field of this transition of 6.8 T satisfies the criterion for stabilization of a condensed Wigner phase in the quantum limit.

Extremely large magnetoresistance and quantum oscillations in semimetal Ni3In2S2

In this work, we present magnetotransport properties and quantum oscillations in single-crystalline shandite compound Ni3In2S2, which is a recently identified semimetal with endless Dirac-nodal lines. Ni3In2S2 displays a giant transverse magnetoresistance of ∼24 000 % at 2 K and 14 T and a magnetic field-induced resistivity upturn behavior at low temperatures. Below 50 K, the magnetoresistance curves show a linear magnetic field dependence under high magnetic fields. The computation results indicate that Ni3In2S2 is a semimetal with linear crossings near the Fermi level. The small effective mass, deduced from de Haas–van Alphen quantum oscillations, suggests the high carrier mobility in Ni3In2S2. The high mobility and quantum linear magnetoresistance resulting from the linear dispersive bands jointly lead to the extreme transverse magnetoresistance in our Ni3In2S2 crystal. Our findings can be a reference to understand and search for semimetals with extreme magnetoresistance.

Impurity and dispersion effects on the linear magnetoresistance in the quantum limit

Magnetoresistance, that is, the change of the resistance with the magnetic field, is usually a quadratic function of the field strength. A linear magnetoresistance usually reveals extraordinary properties of a system. In the quantum limit where only the lowest Landau band is occupied, a quantum linear magnetoresistance was believed to be the signature of the Weyl fermions with 3D linear dispersion. Here, we comparatively investigate the quantum-limit magnetoresistance of systems with different band dispersions as well as different types of impurities. We find that the magnetoresistance can also be linear for the quadratic energy dispersion. We show that both longitudinal and transverse magnetoresistance can be linear if long-range-Gaussian-type impurities dominate, but Coulomb-type impurities can only induce linear transverse magnetoresistance. Moreover, we find a negative longitudinal magnetoresistance in massless Dirac fermions, regardless of the impurity type, as a result of the combined effect of the linear dispersion and the scattering mechanism. Our findings well explain some of the linear magnetoresistance observed in the experiments and provide insights to the understanding of quantum-limit magnetoresistance.

Nontrivial Topological Features and Griffith’s-Phase Behavior in CrFeVGa Probed by Experiment and Theory

We report a combined theoretical and experimental study of the topological semimetal CrFeVGa with an emphasis on the role of atomic disorder on the magnetoelectronic properties. CrFeVGa belongs to the quaternary Heusler alloy family and crystallizes in the cubic structure with B2 disorder. It is found that the disorder plays a crucial role in quenching the magnetization (net moment $\ensuremath{\sim}5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\ensuremath{\mu}}_{B}$ per formula unit) and other anomalies. Ac and dc magnetization data reveal the occurrence of Griffith's-phase-like behavior in the presence of small magnetic clusters with a weak antiferromagnetic or ferrimagnetic ordering. A nonsaturating, linear positive magnetoresistance is observed even at 70 kOe, in a wide temperature range, which is attributed to the quantum linear magnetoresistance arising due to the zero- or small-gap band structure. Hall measurements show some anomalous behavior (including an anomalous Hall conductivity ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{xy0}=270\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}\mathrm{S}\phantom{\rule{0.2em}{0ex}}{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and an anomalous Hall angle of 0.07 at 2 K) with a significant contribution from the semimetallic bands. Hall data analysis also reveals the presence of some non-negligible topological Hall contribution, which is significant at low temperatures. Ab initio calculations confirm the topological Weyl behavior of CrFeVGa, which originates from a unique combination of broken time-reversal symmetry and noncentrosymmetry. The nontrivial band topology stems from the $p$ and $d$ states of vanadium, which overlap near the Fermi level. The presence of multi-Weyl points (24 pairs) near the Fermi level causes a large Berry curvature and hence reasonably high anomalous Hall conductivity. The coexistence of so many emerging features in a single material is rather rare and thus opens up new avenues for future topological and spintronics-based research.

Giant magnetoresistance of Dirac plasma in high-mobility graphene

The most recognizable feature of graphene’s electronic spectrum is its Dirac point, around which interesting phenomena tend to cluster. At low temperatures, the intrinsic behaviour in this regime is often obscured by charge inhomogeneity1,2 but thermal excitations can overcome the disorder at elevated temperatures and create an electron–hole plasma of Dirac fermions. The Dirac plasma has been found to exhibit unusual properties, including quantum-critical scattering3–5 and hydrodynamic flow6–8. However, little is known about the plasma’s behaviour in magnetic fields. Here we report magnetotransport in this quantum-critical regime. In low fields, the plasma exhibits giant parabolic magnetoresistivity reaching more than 100 per cent in a magnetic field of 0.1 tesla at room temperature. This is orders-of-magnitude higher than magnetoresistivity found in any other system at such temperatures. We show that this behaviour is unique to monolayer graphene, being underpinned by its massless spectrum and ultrahigh mobility, despite frequent (Planckian limit) scattering3–5,9–14. With the onset of Landau quantization in a magnetic field of a few tesla, where the electron–hole plasma resides entirely on the zeroth Landau level, giant linear magnetoresistivity emerges. It is nearly independent of temperature and can be suppressed by proximity screening15, indicating a many-body origin. Clear parallels with magnetotransport in strange metals12–14 and so-called quantum linear magnetoresistance predicted for Weyl metals16 offer an interesting opportunity to further explore relevant physics using this well defined quantum-critical two-dimensional system.

Structural, magnetic, and transport properties of epitaxial thin films of equiatomic quaternary CoFeCrGa Heusler alloy

We present the first report on the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of epitaxial thin films of equiatomic quaternary CoFeCrGa, grown on a single crystal MgO(001) substrate. From the structure and surface morphology analyses, we have shown that the films grown are ordered, epitaxial, and homogeneous. Magnetic measurements confirm the soft ferromagnetic nature of the film along the in-plane direction with a coercivity of 4.6 Oe. The resistivity measurements indicate semiconducting nature with a very low temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) value, suggesting an almost temperature independent resistivity, similar to other reported spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs) among the Heusler alloys. A non-saturating, quantum linear magnetoresistance is observed even in high fields of up to 12 kOe, another prerequisite for gapless materials. Hall measurements are also performed, and a detailed analysis has been carried out to estimate the ordinary and anomalous Hall contributions. The conductivity value (σxx) at 300 K is found to be 4280 S cm−1, which is comparable with the other reported SGS materials. We have also studied the effect of L21 and B2 type disorder on the electronic properties based on the first principle calculations and found that the SGS nature in CoFeCrGa is quite robust against the Co–Fe swap disorder (L21 disorder); however, with swap disorder (≥25%) between Cr and Ga sites, the system transits from SGS to half-metallic state. All these results indicate the possibility of spin-gapless semiconducting nature in the CoFeCrGa film, making it highly suitable for spin-based device applications.

Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance and Nontrivial Berry Phase in High‐Mobility Elemental Tellurium

AbstractElemental Tellurium (Te) is an important p‐type semiconductor with wide practical applications. It is currently of great interest as a chiral crystal with broken inversion and mirror symmetries, and its topological nature is under active discussion. Here the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations with a nontrivial π Berry phase and the quantum linear magnetoresistance (MR) in as‐synthesized high‐mobility Te single crystals are reported. The vapor transport grown Te shows a hollow hexagonal prism structure with tunable carrier density and high mobility of about 1000 cm2 V−1 s−1 at low temperature. For concentration p > 1017 cm−3, the conspicuous SdH oscillations map out the dumbbell‐shaped Fermi surface and the long‐standing peculiar amplitude change with varying magnetic field orientation is explained by careful quantitative analyses. Pulsed magnetic field measurements up to 57 T disclose a quantum linear MR beyond the quantum limit and the Landau fan diagram clearly reveals a topologically nontrivial π Berry phase. This work paves way for the synthesis of high‐mobility Te structures and sheds light onto the intrinsic nontrivial topology of the attractive elemental substance.

Magnetoresistance of graphite nanoplatelets with different structure

The magnetoresistance of bulk specimens of graphite nanoplatelets obtained by different methods is studied in magnetic fields up to 2.2 T. It has been established that magnetoresistance is negative for graphite nanoplatelets prepared by chemical treatment of source graphite with a solution of potassium permanganate in sulfuric acid. This negative magnetoresistance can be explained in terms of the model of charge carrier's weak localization in a system with imperfect structure. It has been established that the magnetoresistance is positive and independent of temperature for graphite nanoplatelets produced by sonication method. Moreover, magnetoresistance is linear relative to a magnetic field in fields above ∼0.7 T. It is shown that linear magnetoresistance can be explained in the terms of the Abrikosov's model of quantum linear magnetoresistance.

Spin-gapless semiconductors: Fundamental and applied aspects

Spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs) are new states of quantum matter, which are characterized by a unique spin-polarized band structure. Unlike conventional semiconductors or half-metallic ferromagnets, they carry a finite bandgap for one spin channel and a close (zero) gap for the other and thus are useful for tunable spin transport applications. It is one of the latest classes of materials considered for spintronic devices. A few of the several advantages of SGS include (i) a high Curie temperature, (ii) a minimal amount of energy required to excite electrons from the valence to conduction band due to zero gap, and (iii) the availability of both charge carriers, i.e., electrons as well as holes, which can be 100% spin-polarized simultaneously. In this perspective article, the theoretical foundation of SGS is first reviewed followed by experimental advancements on various realistic materials. The first band structure of SGS was reported in bulk Co-doped PbPdO2, using first-principles calculations. This was followed by a large number of ab initio simulation reports predicting SGS nature in different Heusler alloy systems. The first experimental realization of SGS was made in 2013 in a bulk inverse Heusler alloy, Mn2CoAl. In terms of material properties, SGS shows a few unique features such as nearly temperature-independent conductivity (σ) and carrier concentration, a very low temperature coefficient of resistivity, a vanishingly small Seebeck coefficient, quantum linear magnetoresistance in a low temperature range, etc. Later, several other systems, including 2-dimensional materials, were reported to show the signature of SGS. There are some variants of SGSs that can show a quantum anomalous Hall effect. These SGSs are classic examples of topological (Chern) insulators. In the later part of this article, we have touched upon some of these aspects of SGS or the so-called Dirac SGS systems as well. In general, SGSs can be categorized into four different types depending on how various bands corresponding to two different spin channels touch the Fermi level. The hunt for these different types of SGS materials is growing very fast. Some of the recent progress along this direction is also discussed.

Nano-manipulation and laser treatment as alternative routes for strain engineering in Graphene

In this work we present two alternative routes for strain engineering in graphene. The first technique involves a laser treatment a low power that was found to create micro-bubbles on single layer graphene flakes. The effect of strain and doping of the graphene along these micro-bubbles is mapped and analysed using Raman Spectroscopy and it is found that a pronounced split in the G-band phonon mode can be attributed to large strain induction. The second technique discussed involves the use of nano-manipulating probes to manoeuvre and deform multilayer graphene flakes. Devices fabricated from such deformed flakes exhibit transport deviating from the expected 2D/quasi-2D electron gas observed in single layer graphene and graphite. We observe signatures of quantum linear magnetoresistance up to large fields in such devices.

Quantum linear magnetoresistance in NbTe2

NbTe2 is a quasi-2D layered semimetal with charge density wave ground state showing a distorted-1T structure at room temperature. Here we report the anisotropic magneto-transport properties of NbTe2. An anomalous linear magnetoresistance up to 30% at 3 K in 9 T was observed, which can be well explained by a quantum linear magnetoresistance model. Our results reveal that a large quasi-2D Fermi surface and small Fermi pockets with linearly dispersive bands coexist in NbTe2. The comparison with the isostructural TaTe2 provides more information about the band structure evolution with charge density wave transitions in NbTe2 and TaTe2.

Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance and Shubnikov De-Haas Oscillation in Suspended Wrinkled and Smooth Multilayer Graphene

Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance and Shubnikov De-Haas Oscillation in Suspended Wrinkled and Smooth Multilayer Graphene

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.

Large linear magnetoresistance in a new Dirac material BaMnBi2**Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 11574391), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, and the Research Funds of Renmin University of China (Grant No. 14XNLQ07).

Dirac semimetal is a class of materials that host Dirac fermions as emergent quasi-particles. Dirac cone-type band structure can bring interesting properties such as quantum linear magnetoresistance and large mobility in the materials. In this paper, we report the synthesis of high quality single crystals of BaMnBi2 and investigate the transport properties of the samples. BaMnBi2 is a metal with an antiferromagnetic transition at TN = 288 K. The temperature dependence of magnetization displays different behavior from CaMnBi2 and SrMnBi2, which suggests the possible different magnetic structure of BaMnBi2. The Hall data reveals electron-type carriers and a mobility μ(5 K) = 1500 cm2/V·s. Angle-dependent magnetoresistance reveals the quasi-two-dimensional (2D) Fermi surface in BaMnBi2. A crossover from semiclassical MR ∼ H2 dependence in low field to MR ∼ H dependence in high field, which is attributed to the quantum limit of Dirac fermions, has been observed in magnetoresistance. Our results indicate the existence of Dirac fermions in BaMnBi2.

Large power factor and anomalous Hall effect and their correlation with observed linear magneto resistance in Co-doped Bi2Se3 3D topological insulator

Magnetoresistance (MR), thermo power, magnetization and Hall effect measurements have been performed on Co-doped Bi2Se3 topological insulators. The undoped sample shows that the maximum MR as a destructive interference due to a π-Berry phase leads to a decrease of MR. As the Co is doped, the linearity in MR is increased. The observed MR of Bi2Se3 can be explained with the classical model. The low temperature MR behavior of Co doped samples cannot be explained with the same model, but can be explained with the quantum linear MR model. Magnetization behavior indicates the establishment of ferromagnetic ordering with Co doping. Hall effect data also supports the establishment of ferromagnetic ordering in Co-doped Bi2Se3 samples by showing the anomalous Hall effect. Furthermore, when spectral weight suppression is insignificant, Bi2Se3 behaves as a dilute magnetic semiconductor. Moreover, the maximum power factor is observed when time reversal symmetry (TRS) is maintained. As the TRS is broken the power factor value is decreased, which indicates that with the rise of Dirac cone above the Fermi level the anomalous Hall effect and linearity in MR increase and the power factor decreases.

Unusual magnetotransport properties in a FeAs single crystal

We have investigated the magnetoresistance (MR) and Hall resistivity properties of a FeAs single crystal which exhibits magnetic order below ${T}_{N}$ = 69 K. We observe nonlinear Hall resistivity and linear MR in the presence of magnetic-order-connected Fermi surface reconstruction. The analysis of the magnetotransport data using a two-carrier model suggests the emergence of an additional minor hole Fermi surface which coexists with major electron carriers below ${T}_{N}$. The origin of the linear MR, however, remains inconsistent with current explanations based on the electronic band structure, i.e., the quantum linear MR model from linearly dispersive Dirac cones and linear MR as a result from strong velocity changes of the cyclotron motion near nested Fermi surfaces. While a macroscopic inhomogeneity in a mobility distribution may cause the linear MR as widely observed in other semimetals with high mobilities, the spiral magnetic order of FeAs seems to ask for an alternative description which takes the specific magnetic order and details of the electronic structure of FeAs as well as a possible entanglement between them into account.

Dispersion-type Hall resistance in InSb|Pt hybrid systems.

In nonmagnetic semiconductors and metals, most of Hall resistance exhibits a linear dependence with applied magnetic fields. In this work, by combining conduction in a metal and a semiconductor under external magnetic fields, we realize a dispersion-type magnetic-field dependence of Hall resistance. The dispersion-type Hall resistance appears in a broad temperature range below 150 K, where quantum linear magnetoresistance is noticeable in the semiconductor substrate. This unconventional Hall response in metal|semiconductor hybrid systems is explained by a change in dominant conduction from the semiconductor to the metal with increasing magnetic field strength.

Magnetotransport of proton-irradiatedBaFe2As2andBaFe1.985Co0.015As2single crystals

Here we study the magnetotransport properties of the ferropnictide crystals ${\text{BaFe}}_{2}{\text{As}}_{2}$ and ${\text{BaFe}}_{1.985}{\text{Co}}_{0.015}{\text{As}}_{2}$. These materials exhibit a high field linear magnetoresistance that has been attributed to the quantum linear magnetoresistance model. In this model, the linear magnetoresistance is dependent on the concentration of scattering centers in the material. By using proton-beam irradiation to change the defect scattering density, we find that the dependence of the magnitude of the linear magnetoresistance on scattering quite clearly contravenes this prediction. A number of other scaling trends in the magnetoresistance and high field Hall data are observed and discussed.

Systematic study of doping dependence on linear magnetoresistance in p-PbTe

We report on a large linear magnetoresistance effect observed in doped p-PbTe films. While undoped p-PbTe reveals a sublinear magnetoresistance, p-PbTe films doped with BaF2 exhibit a transition to a nearly perfect linear magnetoresistance behaviour that is persistent up to 30 T. The linear magnetoresistance slope ΔR/ΔB is to a good approximation, independent of temperature. This is in agreement with the theory of Quantum Linear Magnetoresistance. We also performed magnetoresistance simulations using a classical model of linear magnetoresistance. We found that this model fails to explain the experimental data. A systematic study of the doping dependence reveals that the linear magnetoresistance response has a maximum for small BaF2 doping levels and diminishes rapidly for increasing doping levels. Exploiting the huge impact of doping on the linear magnetoresistance signal could lead to new classes of devices with giant magnetoresistance behavior.

Magneto-resistance study of AFe<SUB align="right">2As<SUB align="right">2 (A = Sr, Ba) iron-based compounds

We have investigated the magneto-resistance (MR) from the two main A Fe 2 As 2 compounds (with A = Sr and Ba) and a low energy Ca ion implanted SrFe 2 As 2 crystal up to 8 T. We show that MR from BaFe 2 As 2 and SrFe 2 As 2 single crystals are similar and a quantum linear MR model favoured by some authors is probably not appropriate especially since the MR is not linear. The SrFe 2 As 2 sample with a near surface Ca concentration of 0.8 at.% has a larger MR at low temperatures that is probably due to current transport in the near surface region and in an inhomogeneous normal and superconducting state.