Quantum Oscillations from Fermi Sea

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that quantum oscillations can originate from within the filled Fermi sea rather than solely from the Fermi level, challenging traditional understanding and expanding the scope of their physical interpretation.

Contribution

It analytically and numerically shows that quantum oscillations can occur inside the Fermi sea, especially in strongly particle-hole asymmetric insulators, a novel insight in condensed matter physics.

Findings

Quantum oscillations can originate from inside the Fermi sea.

Such oscillations occur in strongly particle-hole asymmetric insulators.

These oscillations are independent of the energy gap.

Abstract

Quantum oscillations are conventionally understood to arise from the Fermi level; hence, they are considered to be a proof of the existence of an underlying Fermi surface. In this article, we show that in certain situations quantum oscillations can also arise from inside the Fermi sea. We establish this analytically, supporting it with numerical calculations. Possible scenarios where such unusual behavior can occur are pointed out. In particular, in strongly particle-hole asymmetric insulators, models of which have been recently used in the context of the topological Kondo insulator SmB$_6$, we show that the oscillations arise from inside the filled band, and are not related to the gap.