# Weak antilocalization in quasi-two-dimensional electronic states of epitaxial LuSb thin films

## TL;DR

This study uncovers the electronic bandstructure of LuSb thin films, revealing quasi-two-dimensional behavior and the role of electron-hole compensation in large magnetoresistance, with implications for band engineering in rare-earth monopnictides.

## Contribution

It provides the first detailed analysis of LuSb thin films' bandstructure and transport properties, highlighting the effects of dimensional confinement and defect-induced quantum interference.

## Key findings

- Electron-hole compensation drives large magnetoresistance.
- Quasi-two-dimensional electronic states observed in thin films.
- Defects induce quantum interference effects at low temperatures.

## Abstract

Observation of large non-saturating magnetoresistance in rare-earth monopnictides has raised enormous interest in understanding the role of its electronic structure. Here, by a combination of molecular-beam epitaxy, low-temperature transport, angle-resolved photoemssion spectroscopy, and hybrid density functional theory we have unveiled the bandstructure of LuSb, where electron-hole compensation is identified as a mechanism responsible for large magnetoresistance in this topologically trivial compound. In contrast to bulk single crystal analogues, quasi-two-dimensional behavior is observed in our thin films for both electron and holelike carriers, indicative of dimensional confinement of the electronic states. Introduction of defects through growth parameter tuning results in the appearance of quantum interference effects at low temperatures, which has allowed us to identify the dominant inelastic scattering processes and elucidate the role of spin-orbit coupling. Our findings open up new possibilities of band structure engineering and control of transport properties in rare-earth monopnictides via epitaxial synthesis.