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Surface state properties of SmB<sub>6</sub> under pressure

ORAL

Abstract

Electronic transport in the Kondo insulator SmB6 is dominated at low temperatures by a surface state, which could arise as a consequence of a non-trivial topology of its bulk electronic structure. At ambient pressure, our thermopower measurements have suggested the surface states of SmB6 to have a strongly enhanced effective mass, consistent with recent quasiparticle interference studies from STM. Pressure increases the hybridization between f- and conduction electrons eventually leading to a metallic state. Here we report thermopower measurements under pressure that illustrate that the Fermi energy of the surface state is unchanged as a function of pressure in the insulating regime. We discuss our results in consideration of Hall effect data that reveal a carrier density increase with increasing pressure.

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Presenters

  • Filip Ronning

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab, Condensed Matter and Magnet Science Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory

Authors

  • Soonbeom Seo

    Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory

  • Yongkang Luo

    Huazhong University of Science and Technology, University of California, Los Angeles, Huazhong University of Science & Technology

  • Sean Thomas

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Zachary Fisk

    Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Irvine, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Dept. of Physics and Astronomy, University of California Irvine, University of California, Irvine, USA, Department of Physics and Astronomy,, University of California-Irvine

  • Joe D Thompson

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab

  • Priscila Rosa

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab, Los Alamos National Laboratory, USA

  • Filip Ronning

    Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos Natl Lab, Condensed Matter and Magnet Science Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory