Quantum interference of surface states in bismuth nanowires probed by the Aharonov-Bohm oscillatory behavior of the magnetoresistance

Abstract

We report the observation of a dependence of the low temperature resistance of individual single-crystal bismuth nanowires on the Aharonov-Bohm phase of the magnetic flux threading the wire. 55 and 75-nm wires were investigated in magnetic fields of up to 14 T. For 55 nm nanowires, longitudinal magnetoresistance periods of 0.8 and 1.6 T that were observed at magnetic fields over 4 T are assigned to h/2e to h/e magnetic flux modulation. The same modes of oscillation were observed in 75-nm wires. The observed effects are consistent with models of the Bi surface where surface states give rise to a significant population of charge carriers of high effective mass that form a highly conducting tube around the nanowire. In the 55-nm nanowires, the Fermi energy of the surface band is estimated to be 15 meV. An interpretation of the magnetoresistance oscillations in terms of a subband structure in the surface states band due to quantum interference in the tube is presented.

30 pages, 9 figures

References in corpus (6)

• Strong spin-orbit splitting on Bi surfaces
• Direct observation of the Aharonov-Casher phase
• Aharonov-Bohm Oscillations with Spin: Evidence for Berry's Phase
• Mesoscopic decoherence in Aharonov-Bohm rings
• Confinement effects and surface-induced charge carriers in Bi Quantum Wires
• Electronic Transport in a Three-dimensional Network of 1-D Bismuth Quantum Wires

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• Observation of quantum oscillations in FIB fabricated nanowires of topological insulator (Bi2Se3)
• Observation of three-dimensional behavior in surface states of bismuth nanowires and the evidence for bulk Bi charge fractionalization
• Evidence of local superconductivity in granular Bi nanowires fabricated by electrodeposition
• Non-equilibrium Green's function study of magneto-conductance features and oscillations in clean and disordered nanowires
• Aharonov-Bohm oscillations caused by non-topological surface states in Dirac nanowires
• Non-Born effects in scattering of electrons in a conducting strip with low concentration of impurities