Strong spin-orbit coupling and Zeeman spin splitting in angle dependent magnetoresistance of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}

Journal Article · Mon Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4881721· OSTI ID:22300275

Dey, Rik; Pramanik, Tanmoy; Roy, Anupam; Rai, Amritesh; Guchhait, Samaresh; Sonde, Sushant; Movva, Hema C. P.; Register, Leonard F.; Banerjee, Sanjay K. ^[1]; Colombo, Luigi ^[2]

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1. Microelectronics Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78758 (United States)
2. Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas 75243 (United States)

We have studied angle dependent magnetoresistance of Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin film with field up to 9 T over 2–20 K temperatures. The perpendicular field magnetoresistance has been explained by the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka theory alone in a system with strong spin-orbit coupling, from which we have estimated the mean free path, the phase coherence length, and the spin-orbit relaxation time. We have obtained the out-of-plane spin-orbit relaxation time to be small and the in-plane spin-orbit relaxation time to be comparable to the momentum relaxation time. The estimation of these charge and spin transport parameters are useful for spintronics applications. For parallel field magnetoresistance, we have confirmed the presence of Zeeman effect which is otherwise suppressed in perpendicular field magnetoresistance due to strong spin-orbit coupling. The parallel field data have been explained using both the contributions from the Maekawa-Fukuyama localization theory for non-interacting electrons and Lee-Ramakrishnan theory of electron-electron interactions. The estimated Zeeman g-factor and the strength of Coulomb screening parameter agree well with the theory. Finally, the anisotropy in magnetoresistance with respect to angle has been described by the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka theory. This anisotropy can be used in anisotropic magnetic sensor applications.

• OSTI ID: 22300275
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 104, Issue 22; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ANISOTROPY
BISMUTH TELLURIDES
COHERENCE LENGTH
ELECTRON-ELECTRON INTERACTIONS
LANDE FACTOR
L-S COUPLING
MAGNETORESISTANCE
MEAN FREE PATH
RELAXATION TIME
SCREENING
SENSORS
SPIN
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0000-0013 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0013-0065 K
THIN FILMS
ZEEMAN EFFECT