On semiconductor--metal transition in FeSi induced by ultrahigh magnetic field

Abstract

At low temperatures, iron monosilicide is a strongly correlated narrow-gap semiconductor. A first order transition to metal state induced by magnetic field was observed for the first time at 355 T in Ref. [Yu. B. Kudasov et al., JETP Lett. 68 (1998) 350]. However, recently a smooth transition from 230 T to 270 T was found under similar conditions in Ref. [D. Nakamura et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127 (2021) 156601]. This discrepancy goes far beyond experimental errors and deserves a careful study. A methodological analysis of inductive and RF techniques of conductivity measurements shows that the difference of these critical magnetic field estimations stems from a divergence in dynamic ranges of the techniques. In fact, the above mentioned methods supplement each other. The semiconductor-metal transition under magnetic field in FeSi is a complex phenomenon which occurs at the wide range of magnetic fields.