Bloch-Lorentz magnetoresistance oscillations in delafossites

TL;DR

This paper explains the observed out-of-plane magnetoresistance oscillations in delafossites as Bloch-Lorentz oscillations resulting from ballistic electron motion and quasi-2D dispersion, providing a semiclassical theoretical framework.

Contribution

The paper introduces a semiclassical theory for Bloch-Lorentz oscillations in delafossites, linking them to ballistic electron trajectories and identifying sample wall scattering as a key limiting factor.

Findings

Oscillations resemble Aharonov-Bohm effect.

Model attributes oscillations to Bloch-like electron trajectories.

Sample wall scattering limits oscillation visibility.

Abstract

Recent measurements of the out-of-plane magnetoresistance of delafossites (PdCoO$_2$ and PtCoO$_2$) observed oscillations closely resembling the Aharonov-Bohm effect. Here, we show that the magnetoresistance oscillations are explained by the Bloch-like oscillations of the out-of-plane electron trajectories. We develop a semiclassical theory of these Bloch-Lorentz oscillations and show that they are a consequence of the ballistic motion and quasi-2D dispersion of delafossites. Our model identifies the sample wall scattering to be the most likely factor limiting the visibility of these Bloch-Lorentz oscillations in existing experiments.