Theory for magnetic-field-driven 3D metal-insulator transitions in the quantum limit

TL;DR

This paper develops a scaling theory for 3D metal-insulator transitions under strong magnetic fields, incorporating interactions and disorder, and compares predictions with recent experiments to elucidate the nature of the insulating state.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive 3D scaling theory for magnetic-field-driven metal-insulator transitions, including electron interactions and disorder effects, validated by experimental comparison.

Findings

Critical exponent matches experimental data

Insulating state involves charge-density wave and strong interactions

Proposes a new current-scaling experiment for verification

Abstract

Metal-insulator transitions driven by magnetic fields have been extensively studied in 2D, but a 3D theory is still lacking. Motivated by recent experiments, we develop a scaling theory for the metal-insulator transitions in the strong-magnetic-field quantum limit of a 3D system. By using a renormalization-group calculation to treat electron-electron interactions, electron-phonon interactions, and disorder on the same footing, we obtain the critical exponent that characterizes the scaling relations of the resistivity to temperature and magnetic field. By comparing the critical exponent with those in a recent experiment [F. Tang et al., Nature (London) 569, 537 (2019)], we conclude that the insulating ground state was not only a charge-density wave driven by electron-phonon interactions but also coexisting with strong electron-electron interactions and backscattering disorder. We also propose a current-scaling experiment for further verification. Our theory will be helpful for exploring the emergent territory of 3D metal-insulator transitions under strong magnetic fields.