Giant and Linear Magnetoresistance in Liquid Metals at Ambient Temperature

TL;DR

This study reports giant and linear magnetoresistance in liquid metals at room temperature, revealing disorder effects and potential for high-temperature applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates non-saturating magnetoresistance in liquid metals, providing insights into disorder-induced effects and expanding the understanding of magnetoresistance mechanisms.

Findings

Giant magnetoresistance up to 2500% at 14 Tesla

Magnetoresistance appears above melting points of metals

Reduced diamagnetism indicates short-mean free path effects

Abstract

Disorder-induced magnetoresistance has been reported in a range of solid metals and semiconductors, however, the underlying physical mechanism is still under debate because it is difficult to experimentally control. Liquid metals, due to lack of long-range order, offers an ideal model system where many forms of disorder can be deactivated by freezing the liquid. Here we report non-saturating magnetoresistance discovered in the liquid state of three metals: Ga, Ga-In-Sn and Bi-Pb-Sn-In alloys. The giant magnetoresistance appears above the respective melting points and has a maximum of 2500% at 14 Tesla. The reduced diamagnetism in the liquid state implies that a short-mean free path of the electron, induced by the spatial distribution of the liquid structure, is a key factor. A potential technological merit of this liquidtronic magnetoresistance is that it naturally operates at higher temperatures.