Transport gap in SmB<sub>6</sub> protected against disorder.

Eo, Yun Suk; Rakoski, Alexa; Lucien, Juniar; Mihaliov, Dmitri; Kurdak, Çağlıyan; Rosa, Priscila F S; Fisk, Zachary · Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A · 2019

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

The inverted resistance method was used in this study to extend the bulk resistivity of [Formula: see text] to a regime where the surface conduction overwhelms the bulk. Remarkably, regardless of the large off-stoichiometric growth conditions (inducing disorder by samarium vacancies, boron interstitials, etc.), the bulk resistivity shows an intrinsic thermally activated behavior that changes ∼7-10 orders of magnitude, suggesting that [Formula: see text] is an ideal insulator that is immune to disorder.

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