Unconventional magnetoresistance in long InSb nanowires

Abstract

Magnetoresistance in long correlated nanowires of degenerate semiconductor InSb in asbestos matrix (wire diameter of around 5 nm, length 0.1 - 1 mm) is studied over temperature range 2.3 - 300 K. At zero magnetic field the electric conduction $G$ and the current-voltage characteristics of such wires obey the power laws $G\propto T^{\alpha }$, $I\propto V^{\beta }$, expected for one-dimensional electron systems. The effect of magnetic field corresponds to a 20% growth of the exponents $\alpha$, $\beta$ at H=10 T. The observed magnetoresistance is caused by the magnetic-field-induced breaking of the spin-charge separation and represents a novel mechanism of magnetoresistance.

To be published in JETP Letters, vol. 77 (2003)