ABSTRACT
We report a study of thickness-dependent interband and intraband magnetic breakdown by thermoelectric quantum oscillations in ZrSiSe nanoplates. Under high magnetic fields of up to 30 T, quantum oscillations arising from degenerated hole pockets were observed in thick ZrSiSe nanoplates. However, when decreasing the thickness, plentiful multifrequency quantum oscillations originating from hole and electron pockets are captured. These multiple frequencies can be explained by the emergent interband magnetic breakdown enclosing individual hole and electron pockets and intraband magnetic breakdown within spin-orbit coupling (SOC) induced saddle-shaped electron pockets, resulting in the enhanced contribution to thermal transport in thin ZrSiSe nanoplates. These experimental frequencies agree well with theoretical calculations of the intriguing tunneling processes. Our results introduce a new member of magnetic breakdown to the field and open up a dimension for modulating magnetic breakdown, which holds fundamental significance for both low-dimensional topological materials and the physics of magnetic breakdown.
ABSTRACT
As compressed hydrides constantly refresh the records of superconducting critical temperatures (Tc) in the vicinity of room temperature, this further reinforces the confidence to find more high-temperature superconducting hydrides. In this process, metastable phases of superhydrides offer enough possibilities to access superior superconducting properties. Here we report a metastable hexagonal lanthanum superhydride (P63/mmc-LaH10) stabilized at 146 GPa by introducing an appropriate proportion of Al, which exhibits high-temperature superconductivity with Tc â¼ 178 K, and this value is enhanced to a maximum Tc â¼ 223 K at 164 GPa. A huge upper critical magnetic field value Hc2(0) reaches 223 T at 146 GPa. The small volume expansion of P63/mmc-(La, Al) H10 compared with the binary LaH10 indicates the possible interstitial sites of Al atoms filling into the La-H lattice, instead of forming conventional ternary alloy-based superhydrides. This work provides a new strategy for metastable high-temperature superconductors through the multiple-element system.
ABSTRACT
The quantum Hall effect is one of the exclusive properties displayed by Dirac Fermions in topological insulators, which propagates along the chiral edge state and gives rise to quantized electron transport. However, the quantum Hall effect formed by the nondegenerate Dirac surface states has been elusive so far. Here, we demonstrate the nondegenerate integer quantum Hall effect from the topological surface states in three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator ß-Ag2Te nanostructures. Surface-state dominant conductance renders quantum Hall conductance plateaus with a step of e2/h, along with typical thermopower behaviors of two-dimensional (2D) massless Dirac electrons. The 2D nature of the topological surface states is proven by the electrical and thermal transport responses under tilted magnetic fields. Moreover, the degeneracy of the surface states is removed by structure inversion asymmetry (SIA). The evidenced SIA-induced nondegenerate integer quantum Hall effect in low-symmetry ß-Ag2Te has implications for both fundamental study and the realization of topological magneto-electric effects.
