Extraordinary Magnetoresistance in Hybrid Semiconductor-Metal Systems

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that hybrid semiconductor-metal systems with quasi-two-dimensional structures exhibit extraordinary magnetoresistance due to current path switching, aligning well with experimental observations and suggesting extensions to other materials.

Contribution

The paper provides a theoretical explanation for EMR in hybrid systems, highlighting the role of current path switching and extending the understanding to silver chalcogenides.

Findings

Hybrid systems show huge magnetoresistance.

Magnetoresistance arises from current path switching.

Theory aligns with experimental results.

Abstract

We show that extraordinary magnetoresistance (EMR) arises in systems consisting of two components; a semiconducting ring with a metallic inclusion embedded. The im- portant aspect of this discovery is that the system must have a quasi-two-dimensional character. Using the same materials and geometries for the samples as in experiments by Solin et al.[1;2], we show that such systems indeed exhibit a huge magnetoresistance. The magnetoresistance arises due to the switching of electrical current paths passing through the metallic inclusion. Diagrams illustrating the flow of the current density within the samples are utilised in discussion of the mechanism responsible for the magnetoresistance effect. Extensions are then suggested which may be applicable to the silver chalcogenides. Our theory offers an excellent description and explanation of experiments where a huge magnetoresistance has been discovered[2;3].