Violation of Kohler’s rule by the magnetoresistance of a quasi-two-dimensional organic metal

Abstract

The interlayer magnetoresistance of the quasi-two-dimensional metal $\alpha -{\mathrm{}(\mathrm{B}\mathrm{E}\mathrm{D}\mathrm{T}-\mathrm{T}\mathrm{T}\mathrm{F})\mathrm{}}_2{\mathrm{KHg}\left(\mathrm{SCN}\right)\mathrm{}}_4$ is considered. In the temperature range from 0.5 to 10 K and for fields up to 10 T the magnetoresistance has a stronger temperature dependence than the zero-field resistance. Consequently Kohler’s rule is not obeyed for any range of temperatures or fields. This means that the magnetoresistance cannot be described in terms of semiclassical transport on a single Fermi surface with a single scattering time. Possible explanations for the violations of Kohler’s rule are considered, both within the framework of semiclassical transport theory and involving incoherent interlayer transport. The issues considered are similar to those raised by the magnetotransport of the cuprate superconductors.