Tuning Chiral Anomaly Signature in a Dirac Semimetal via Fast-Ion Implantation
Cd<sub>3</sub>As<sub>2</sub> is a Dirac semimetal that hosts a chiral anomaly, functioning as a platform to realize energy applications. We use fast-ion implantation to enhance the negative longitudinal magnetoresistance (NLMR)─signature of a chiral anomaly─in Nb-doped Cd<sub>3</sub>As<sub>2</sub> thin films. High-energy ion implantation is used to investigate semiconductors and nuclear materials but is rarely employed to study topological materials. We use electrical transport and transmission electron microscopy to characterize the NLMR and crystallinity of Nb-doped Cd<sub>3</sub>As<sub>2</sub>. We find surface-doped thin films display a maximum NLMR around <i>B</i> = 7 T and bulk-doped thin films display a maximum over <i>B</i> = 9 T─all while maintaining crystallinity. This is more than a 100% relative enhancement of the maximum NLMR compared to pristine Cd<sub>3</sub>As<sub>2</sub>. Our work demonstrates the potential of high-energy ion implantation as a practical route to explore chiralitronic properties in topological semimetals.
Authors
- Mingda Li (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7055-6368)
- Abhijatmedhi Chotrattanapituk (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6278-1138)
- Lijun Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8443-250X)
- Susanne Stemmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3142-4696)
- Chuhang Liu
- Alexander C. Lygo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1762-244X)
- Ryotaro Okabe
- Manasi Mandal (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1541-9678)
- Kevin B Woller
- Yimei Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1638-7217)
- Chu-Liang Fu
- Guomin Zhu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0476-3331)
- Satoru Kishida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2267-0580)
- K. L. Mak
- Mouyang Cheng
- Denisse Córdova Carrizales
- Eunbi Rha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-4633-577X)
- Simos Michalopoulos
Institutions
- Harvard University (US)
- University of California, Santa Barbara (US)
- Brookhaven National Laboratory (US)
- Harvard University Press (US)
- University of California System (US)
- Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology (RU)
- IIT@MIT (US)
- Material (Belgium) (BE)
- Yukhnovskii Institute for Condensed Matter Physics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (UA)
- Fusion (United States) (US)
- Plasma Technology (United States) (US)
- Fusion Academy (US)
- Naval Research Laboratory Information Technology Division
Publication Details
- Journal
- Nano Letters
- Published
- 2025-12-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c03841
- Primary Topic
- Topological Materials and Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00