Nonlinear transport due to magnetic-field-induced flat bands in the nodal-line semimetal ZrTe5

Abstract

The Dirac material ZrTe${}_5$ at very low carrier density was recently found to be a nodal-line semimetal, where ultra-flat bands are expected to emerge in magnetic fields parallel to the nodal-line plane. Here we report that in very low carrier-density samples of ZrTe${}_5$, when the current and the magnetic field are both along the crystallographic $a$ axis, the current-voltage characteristics presents a pronounced nonlinearity which tends to saturate in the ultra quantum limit. The magnetic-field dependence of the nonlinear coefficient is well explained by the Boltzmann theory for flat-band transport, and we argue that this nonlinear transport is likely due to the combined effect of flat bands and charge puddles, the latter appear due to very low carrier densities.

Final version to appear in PRL, 27 pages total; 6 pages of main text with 5 figures, 21 pages of supplemental information with 11 figures

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• Topological nodal line semimetals
• Topological Semimetals
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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Dispersive Drumhead States in Nodal-Line Semimetal Junctions
• Interband contributions to nonlinear transport in semiconductor nanostructures
• Rashba-splitting-induced topological flat band detected by anomalous resistance oscillations beyond the quantum limit in ZrTe${}_5$
• Dissipationless transport signature of topological nodal lines
• Surface magnon spectra of nodal loop semimetals