Orbital quantization in the high magnetic field state of a charge-density-wave system

TL;DR

This paper proposes that high magnetic fields induce quantized subphase transitions in charge-density-wave systems through a combined Pauli and orbital coupling mechanism, observable even with well-nested Fermi surfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a novel mechanism for magnetic field-induced phase transitions in CDW systems involving orbital and Pauli effects, applicable to well-nested Fermi surfaces.

Findings

Transitions observed in organic metal under tilted magnetic field.

Transitions linked to quantized changes in CDW wavevector.

Applicable to systems with well-nested Fermi surfaces.

Abstract

A superposition of the Pauli and orbital coupling of a high magnetic field to charge carriers in a charge-density-wave (CDW) system is proposed to give rise to transitions between subphases with quantized values of the CDW wavevector. By contrast to the purely orbital field-induced density-wave effects which require a strongly imperfect nesting of the Fermi surface, the new transitions can occur even if the Fermi surface is well nested at zero field. We suggest that such transitions are observed in the organic metal $\alpha$-(BEDT-TTF)$_2$KHg(SCN)$_4$ under a strongly tilted magnetic field.