Nonlinear magnetotransport in a dc-current-biased graphene

TL;DR

This paper develops a theoretical model to study nonlinear magnetotransport in dc-current-biased graphene, revealing phase inversions and current-induced oscillations consistent with experiments and predicting new phenomena at different conditions.

Contribution

It introduces a balance-equation scheme to analyze nonlinear magnetotransport in biased graphene, including effects of surface optical phonons and predicts new current-induced oscillations.

Findings

Phase inversion of differential resistivity with increasing current density.

Second phase inversion at higher bias due to surface optical phonons.

Prediction of current-induced magnetoresistance oscillation at low magnetic fields.

Abstract

A balance-equation scheme is developed to investigate the magnetotransport in a dc-current-biased graphene. We examine the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation under a nonzero bias current. With an increase in the current density, the oscillatory differential resistivity exhibits phase inversion, in agreement with recent experimental observation. In the presence of surface optical phonons, a second phase inversion may occur at higher dc bias, due to the reduced influence of electron-heating and the enhanced direct effect of current on differential magnetoresistivity. We also predict the appearance of current-induced magnetoresistance oscillation in suspended graphene at lower magnetic fields and larger current densities. For the graphene mobility currently available ($\approx 20\,{\rm m^2/Vs}$), the oscillatory behavior may be somewhat altered by magnetophonon resonance arising from intrinsic acoustic phonon under finite bias current condition.