Quantum Oscillations of the J=3/2 Fermi Surface in the Topological Semimetal Yptbi

Author

Hyunsoo Kim, Missouri University of Scienec and TechnologyFollow
Junhyun Lee
Halyna Hodovanets, Missouri University of Science and TechnologyFollow
Kefeng Wang
Jay D. Sau
Johnpierre Paglione

Abstract

The bismuth-based half-Heusler materials host a nontrivial topological band structure, unconventional superconductivity, and large spin-orbit coupling in a system with very low electron density. In particular, the inversion of p-orbital-derived bands with an effective angular momentum j of up to 3/2 is thought to play a central role in anomalous Cooper pairing in the cubic half-Heusler semimetal YPtBi, which is thought to be the first "high-spin" superconductor. Here, we report an extensive study of the angular dependence of quantum oscillations (QOs) in the electrical conductivity of YPtBi, revealing an anomalous Shubnikov-de Haas effect consistent with the presence of a coherent j=3/2 Fermi surface. The QO signal in YPtBi manifests an extreme anisotropy upon rotation of the magnetic field from the [100] to [110] crystallographic direction, where the QO amplitude vanishes. This radical anisotropy for such a highly isotropic system cannot be explained by trivial scenarios involving changes in effective mass or impurity scattering, but rather is naturally explained by the warping feature of the j=3/2 Fermi surface of YPtBi, providing direct proof of active high angular momentum quasiparticles in the half-Heusler compounds.

Recommended Citation

H. Kim et al., "Quantum Oscillations of the J=3/2 Fermi Surface in the Topological Semimetal Yptbi," Physical Review Research, vol. 4, no. 3, article no. 033169, American Physical Society, Jul 2022.

The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.4.033169

Department(s)

Physics

Comments

National Science Foundation, Grant PHY-1607611

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

2643-1564

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Final Version

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2023 The Authors, All rights reserved.

Creative Commons Licensing

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Publication Date

01 Jul 2022