Size resonant scattering from a hard cylindrical potential observed in the magnetoresistance of InSb

Abstract

A new type of dimensional resonance, caused by elastic scattering of electrons by a hard cylindrical potential, has recently been observed. The matrix element oscillates with increasing electron-momentum change. As the momentum that is required to induce inter-Landau-level scattering increases with magnetic field, resonant structure can be observed in the magnetoresistance. Thus, the study of samples of InSb that contained long cylindrical inclusions of NiSb revealed oscillations 4.2, 20 and 77K. The observed structure is periodic in B^1/2 with a periodicity predicted as Delta B^1/2=( pi /2a)(h(cross)/2e)^1/2. The observed periodicity corresponds well with the physical dimensions of the NiSb rods, which were determined by transmission electron microscopy.