ABSTRACT
In this study we observed the reproducible superconducting state in Cd3As2 thin films without any external stimuli. Comparison with our previous results reveals similar qualitative behavior for films synthesized by different methods, while the difference in the values of the critical parameters clearly shows the possibility to control this state. The X-ray diffraction measurements demonstrate the presence of the tetragonal Cd3As2 crystal phase in studied films. Measurements of high-field magnetoresistance reveal pronounced Shubnikov - de Haas oscillations. The analysis of these oscillations suggests that, due to high carrier concentration in studied Cd3As2 films, the initial Dirac semimetal phase may be partially suppressed, which, however, does not contradict with possible topological nature of the observed superconductivity.
ABSTRACT
When an electronic system is subjected to a sufficiently strong magnetic field that the cyclotron energy is much larger than the Fermi energy, the system enters the extreme quantum limit (EQL) and becomes susceptible to a number of instabilities. Bringing a three-dimensional electronic system deeply into the EQL can be difficult however, since it requires a small Fermi energy, large magnetic field, and low disorder. Here we present an experimental study of the EQL in lightly-doped single crystals of strontium titanate. Our experiments probe deeply into the regime where theory has long predicted an interaction-driven charge density wave or Wigner crystal state. A number of interesting features arise in the transport in this regime, including a striking re-entrant nonlinearity in the current-voltage characteristics. We discuss these features in the context of possible correlated electron states, and present an alternative picture based on magnetic-field induced puddling of electrons.
