Large Magnetoresistance of a Dilute $p$-Si/SiGe/Si Quantum Well in a Parallel Magnetic Field

TL;DR

This study investigates the large magnetoresistance in dilute p-Si/SiGe/Si quantum wells under parallel magnetic fields, revealing a transition from metallic to insulating behavior and orientation-dependent effects, explained by orbital motion influences.

Contribution

It provides new experimental insights into the magnetoresistance behavior of dilute p-Si/SiGe/Si quantum wells in strong parallel magnetic fields, highlighting orientation-dependent effects and a transition in resistance dependence.

Findings

Metallic behavior at low fields in low-density samples

Reversal of temperature dependence at 7.2 T

Transition from quadratic to linear B_parallel dependence at 13 T

Abstract

We report the results of an experimental study of the magnetoresistance $\rho_{xx}$ in two samples of $p$-Si/SiGe/Si with low carrier concentrations $p$=8.2$\times10^{10}$ cm$^{-2}$ and $p$=2$\times10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$. The research was performed in the temperature range of 0.3-2 K in the magnetic fields of up to 18 T, parallel to the two-dimensional (2D) channel plane at two orientations of the in-plane magnetic field $B_{\parallel}$ against the current $I$: $B_{\parallel} \perp I$ and $B_{\parallel} \parallel I$. In the sample with the lowest density in the magnetic field range of 0-7.2 T the temperature dependence of $\rho_{xx}$ demonstrates the metallic characteristics ($d \rho_{xx}/dT>$0). However, at $B_{\parallel}$ =7.2 T the derivative $d \rho_{xx}/dT$ reverses the sign. Moreover, the resistance depends on the current orientation with respect to the in-plane magnetic field. At $B_{\parallel} \cong$ 13 T there is a transition from the dependence $\ln(\Delta\rho_{xx} / \rho_{0})\propto B_{\parallel}^2$ to the dependence $\ln(\Delta\rho_{xx} / \rho_{0})\propto B_{\parallel}$. The observed effects can be explained by the influence of the in-plane magnetic field on the orbital motion of the charge carriers in the quasi-2D system.