Discovery of log-periodic oscillations in ultraquantum topological materials.

Wang, Huichao; Liu, Haiwen; Li, Yanan; Liu, Yongjie; Wang, Junfeng; Liu, Jun; Dai, Ji-Yan; Wang, Yong et al. · Sci Adv · 2018

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

Quantum oscillations are usually the manifestation of the underlying physical nature in condensed matter systems. Here, we report a new type of log-periodic quantum oscillations in ultraquantum three-dimensional topological materials. Beyond the quantum limit (QL), we observe the log-periodic oscillations involving up to five oscillating cycles (five peaks and five dips) on the magnetoresistance of high-quality single-crystal ZrTe<sub>5</sub>, virtually showing the clearest feature of discrete scale invariance (DSI). Further, theoretical analyses show that the two-body quasi-bound states can be responsible for the DSI feature. Our work provides a new perspective on the ground state of topological materials beyond the QL.