Mizzi Christopher A, Kushwaha Satya K, Rosa Priscila F S, Phelan W Adam, Arellano David C, Pressley Lucas A, McQueen Tyrel M, Chan Mun K, Harrison Neil
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, 87545, USA.
Institute for Quantum Matter, William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21218, USA.
Nat Commun. 2024 Feb 21;15(1):1607. doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-45801-2.
The quantum limit in a Fermi liquid, realized when a single Landau level is occupied in strong magnetic fields, gives rise to unconventional states, including the fractional quantum Hall effect and excitonic insulators. Stronger interactions in metals with nearly localized f-electron degrees of freedom increase the likelihood of these unconventional states. However, access to the quantum limit is typically impeded by the tendency of f-electrons to polarize in a strong magnetic field, consequently weakening the interactions. In this study, we propose that the quantum limit in such systems must be approached in reverse, starting from an insulating state at zero magnetic field. In this scenario, Landau levels fill in the reverse order compared to regular metals and are closely linked to a field-induced insulator-to-metal transition. We identify YbB as a prime candidate for observing this effect and propose the presence of an excitonic insulator state near this transition.
在强磁场中单个朗道能级被占据时实现的费米液体中的量子极限会产生非常规状态，包括分数量子霍尔效应和激子绝缘体。在具有近局域f电子自由度的金属中，更强的相互作用增加了这些非常规状态出现的可能性。然而，通常由于f电子在强磁场中极化的趋势，接近量子极限的过程会受到阻碍，从而削弱相互作用。在本研究中，我们提出，对于此类系统，必须从相反的方向接近量子极限，即从零磁场下的绝缘态开始。在这种情况下，与常规金属相比，朗道能级以相反的顺序填充，并且与场致绝缘体-金属转变密切相关。我们确定YbB是观察这种效应的主要候选材料，并提出在该转变附近存在激子绝缘体状态。
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