Electron-phonon coupling in semimetals in a high magnetic field

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electron-phonon interactions in semimetals under high magnetic fields cause notable elastic effects, including discontinuities and divergences in elastic properties, exemplified by Bismuth.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of electron-phonon coupling effects on elastic properties in high magnetic fields, highlighting phenomena at Landau level crossings.

Findings

Discontinuity in magnetostriction at Landau level crossings

Divergent elastic modulus contributions in clean 3D semimetals

Estimation of effects in Bismuth under high magnetic fields

Abstract

We consider the effect of electron-phonon coupling in semimetals in high magnetic fields, with regard to elastic modes that can lead to a redistribution of carriers between pockets. We show that in a clean three dimensional system, at each Landau level crossing, this leads to a discontinuity in the magnetostriction, and a divergent contribution to the elastic modulus. We estimate the magnitude of this effect in the group V semimetal Bismuth.