Revealing Pronounced Electron-Hole Fermi Pockets in the Charge Density Wave Semimetal LaTe3

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution spectroscopic imaging to reveal significant electron-hole Fermi pockets in LaTe3, providing insights into its electronic structure and potential for novel quantum phases.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed Landau level measurements of LaTe3, uncovering pronounced electron-hole Fermi pockets and electron-boson coupling in this charge density wave semimetal.

Findings

Revealed electron-hole Fermi pockets of similar size in LaTe3.

Detected electron-boson coupling in both Fermi pockets.

Provided high-resolution Landau level data at 300 mK.

Abstract

Rare earth tri-tellurides (RTe3) are van der Waals (vdW) coupled semimetals ideal for exploring exotic electronic phases. LaTe3 is especially important for understanding the fundamental Fermiology of the RTe3 family because it is non-magnetic and has a simpler charge density wave structure. In this study, we used spectroscopic-imaging scanning tunneling microscopy to measure the Landau levels of LaTe3 with high energy resolution at 300 mK. These measurements were taken under varying magnetic fields up to 15 T, with fine intervals of 0.02 - 0.03 T. Our results reveal a pair of pronounced electron-hole Fermi pockets of similar sizes and evidence of electron-boson coupling in both pockets. Given the strong charge susceptibility typical of low-dimensional conductors, the interactions and instabilities driven by the electron-hole Fermi pockets could be a basis for searching unexplored quantum phases in other antiferromagnetic RTe3 compounds.