Negative magneto-resistance of electron gas in a quantum well with parabolic potential

TL;DR

This paper investigates the electrical conductivity and negative magnetoresistance in a parabolic quantum well, revealing a new mechanism linked to spin splitting in non-degenerate electron gases under magnetic fields.

Contribution

It provides a general expression for conductivity in such systems and uncovers a novel mechanism for negative magnetoresistance due to spin splitting.

Findings

Negative magnetoresistance observed in the system

Spin splitting causes negative magnetoresistance in non-degenerate gases

Derived a universal conductivity expression for various field strengths

Abstract

We have studied the electrical conductivity of the electron gas in parallel electric and magnetic fields directed along the plane of a parabolic quantum well (across the profile of the potential). We found a general expression for the electrical conductivity applicable for any magnitudes of the magnetic field and the degree of degeneration of the electron gas. A new mechanism of generation of the negative magnetoresistance has been revealed. It has been shown that in a parabolic quantum well with a non-degenerated electron gas the negative magnetoresistance results from spin splitting of the levels of the size quantization.