Transition from semiconducting to metallic-like conducting and weak antilocalization effect in single crystals of LuPtSb

TL;DR

This study reports the synthesis of high-quality LuPtSb single crystals that exhibit a transition from semiconducting to metallic behavior around 150 K, with notable magnetoresistance and weak antilocalization effects due to strong spin-orbit coupling.

Contribution

The paper presents the first detailed investigation of the transport and magnetoconductance properties of LuPtSb single crystals, revealing a temperature-induced transition and WAL effect linked to bulk spin-orbit interactions.

Findings

Transition from semiconducting to metallic at 150 K

Magnetoresistance as high as 109% at low temperatures

Observation of weak antilocalization effect up to 150 K

Abstract

High quality half-Heusler single crystals of LuPtSb have been synthesized by a Pb flux method. The temperature dependent resistivity and Hall effects indicate that the LuPtSb crystal is a p-type gapless semiconductor showing a transition from semiconducting to metallic conducting at 150 K. Moreover, a weakly temperature-dependent positive magnetoresistance (MR) as large as 109 % and high carrier mobility up to 2950 cm2/Vs are experimentally observed at temperatures below 150 K. The low-field MR data shows evidence for weak antilocalization (WAL) effect at temperatures even up to 150 K. Analysis of the temperature and angle dependent magnetoconductance manifests that the WAL effect originates from the bulk contribution owing to the strong spin-orbital coupling.