Quantum Oscillations in Noncentrosymmetric Weyl Semimetal SmAlSi

Abstract

As a new type of quantum state of matter hosting low energy relativistic quasiparticles, Weyl semimetals (WSMs) have attracted significant attention for scientific community and potential quantum device applications. In this study, we present a comprehensive investigation of the structural, magnetic, and transport properties of noncentrosymmetric RAlSi (R = Sm, Ce), which have been predicted to be new magnetic WSM candidates. Both samples exhibit nonsaturated magnetoresistance, with about 900% and 80% for SmAlSi and CeAlSi, respectively, at temperature of 1.8 K and magnetic field of 9 T. The carrier densities of SmAlSi and CeAlSi exhibit remarkable change around magnetic transition temperatures, signifying that the electronic states are sensitive to the magnetic ordering of rare-earth elements. At low temperatures, SmAlSi reveals prominent Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations associated with the nontrivial Berry phase. High-pressure experiments demonstrate that the magnetic order is robust and survival under high pressure. Our results would yield valuable insights into WSM physics and potentials in applications to next-generation spintronic devices in the RAlSi (R = Sm, Ce) family.