Large magnetoresistance and unexpected low thermal conductivity in topological semimetal CrP4 single crystal

• Published in: Applied physics. A, Materials science & processing Materials science & processing, 2022-03, Vol.128 (3), Article 196
• Main Authors: Wu, W., Yu, Z. H., Xu, M., Liu, X. L., Zhao, J. G., Liu, Z. Y., Xia, W., Li, Z. Y., Zhou, C. Y., Feng, J. J., Guo, Y. F., Luo, J. L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anisotropy; Applied physics; Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Condensed Matter Physics; Electrical resistivity; Electron transport; Fermi surfaces; Hall effect; Heat conductivity; Heat transfer; High temperature; Low temperature; Machines; Magnetic permeability; Magnetic properties; Magnetoresistance; Magnetoresistivity; Manufacturing; Materials by Design Under Pressure: experiments and theory; Materials science; Nanotechnology; Optical and Electronic Materials; Physical properties; Physics; Physics and Astronomy; Processes; Single crystals; Surfaces and Interfaces; T.C. : Materials by Design Under Pressure: experiments and theory; Thermal conductivity; Thermoelectric materials; Thin Films
• ISSN: 0947-8396; 1432-0630
• DOI: 10.1007/s00339-022-05313-6

We fabricate CrP 4 single crystal under high pressure and high temperature at 5 GPa and 1373 K. The comprehensive physical properties including electronic transport, magnetic properties, specific heat, Hall, thermal Seebeck and thermal conductivity are reported here. The resistivity shows a good metallic conductivity and T 2.7 law relation in the low temperature, which indicates a weak correlation of electrons. It is interesting to note that CrP 4 shows large magnetoresistance (MR) of 500% under T  = 2 K and B  = 9 T, and the MR does not reach saturation until 9 T. The mechanism of large MR in CrP 4 is interpreted as the Fermi surface anisotropy. The Hall measurement shows that there is only one single type of carriers in CrP 4 with holes. CrP 4 exhibits paramagnetic behavior observed from the magnetic susceptibility measurement. Though CrP 4 exhibits high electrical conductivity, unexpected low thermal conductivity is observed at low temperature, which is due to the zigzag chain of CrP 6 octahedra along the c -axis. Low thermal conductivity is useful to design thermoelectric materials or devices by properly doping in CrP 4 .