Magnetic breakdown induced Peierls transition

TL;DR

This paper predicts a novel phase transition in quasi-one-dimensional electron systems under high magnetic fields, where magnetic breakdown induces a density wave that alters the Fermi surface and lowers the system's energy.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a magnetic breakdown induced density wave, a new type of Peierls-like transition driven by quantum tunneling in high magnetic fields.

Findings

Transformation of Fermi surface into a chain of large pockets.

Formation of narrow energy bands and gaps due to quantum tunneling.

Lowering of total electron energy leading to a new ground state.

Abstract

We predict the new type of phase transition in quasi one-dimensional system of interacting electrons at high magnetic fields, the stabilization of a density wave which transforms a two dimensional open Fermi surface into a periodic chain of large pockets with small distances between them. We show that quantum tunneling of electrons between the neighboring closed orbits enveloping these pockets transforms the electron spectrum into a set of extremely narrow energy bands and gaps that decreases the total electron energy, thus leading to a \emph{magnetic breakdown induced density wave} ground state analogous to the well-known instability of Peierls type.