Enhanced Room-Temperature Geometric Magnetoresistance in Inhomogeneous Narrow-Gap Semiconductors

• Published in: Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) Vol. 289; no. 5484; pp. 1530 - 1532
• Main Authors: Solin, S. A., Thio, Tineke, Hines, D. R., Heremans, J. J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Society for the Advancement of Science 01.09.2000; American Association for the Advancement of Science; The American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Subjects: Climate; Cognitive Style; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Conductivity; Conductivity phenomena in semiconductors and insulators; Electric current; Electric fields; Electronic transport in condensed matter; Exact sciences and technology; Galvanomagnetic and other magnetotransport effects; Geometry; Information Storage; Inhomogeneity; Magnetic fields; Materials; Mobility; Physics; Semiconductors; Sensors; Short circuits; Temperature; Gold; Inorganic compounds; Indium antimonides; Narrow band gap semiconductors; Magnetic field effects; Measuring methods; Signal-to-noise ratio; Binary compounds; Inhomogeneity; Experimental study; Magnetoresistance; Microstructure
• ISSN: 0036-8075; 1095-9203
• DOI: 10.1126/science.289.5484.1530

A symmetric van der Pauw disk of homogeneous nonmagnetic indium antimonide with an embedded concentric gold inhomogeneity is found to exhibit room-temperature geometric magnetoresistance as high as 100, 9100, and 750,000 percent at magnetic fields of 0.05, 0.25, and 4.0 teslas, respectively. For inhomogeneities of sufficiently large diameter relative to that of the surrounding disk, the resistance is field-independent up to an onset field above which it increases rapidly. These results can be understood in terms of the field-dependent deflection of current around the inhomogeneity.