Quantum oscillations in insulators with neutral Fermi surfaces

TL;DR

This paper develops a theory for quantum oscillations in insulators with neutral Fermi surfaces, predicting observable effects like magnetization oscillations and resistivity behavior under magnetic fields, relevant for experimental detection.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive theoretical framework for quantum oscillations in insulators with emergent neutral fermions coupled to gauge fields, including analytical expressions and experimental implications.

Findings

Magnetization oscillations resemble those of metals at high temperatures.

Low-temperature oscillations undergo phase transitions.

Predicted resistivity oscillations can be observed in specific materials.

Abstract

We develop a theory of quantum oscillations in insulators with an emergent fermi sea of neutral fermions minimally coupled to an emergent $U(1)$ gauge field. As pointed out by Motrunich (Phys. Rev. B 73, 155115 (2006)), in the presence of a physical magnetic field the emergent magnetic field develops a non-zero value leading to Landau quantization for the neutral fermions. We focus on the magnetic field and temperature dependence of the analogue of the de Haas-van Alphen effect in two- and three-dimensions. At temperatures above the effective cyclotron energy, the magnetization oscillations behave similarly to those of an ordinary metal, albeit in a field of a strength that differs from the physical magnetic field. At low temperatures the oscillations evolve into a series of phase transitions. We provide analytical expressions for the amplitude and period of the oscillations in both of these regimes and simple extrapolations that capture well their crossover. We also describe oscillations in the electrical resistivity of these systems that are expected to be superimposed with the activated temperature behavior characteristic of their insulating nature and discuss suitable experimental conditions for the observation of these effects in mixed-valence insulators and triangular lattice organic materials.