Quantum oscillations and ultrahigh mobility in rare-earth tritellurides SmTe3

Abstract

Rare-earth tritellurides (RTe3, R = lanthanide) represent an ideal platform for investigating charge density wave (CDW) order and associated Fermi surface reconstructions. While quantum oscillations have been observed in several RTe3 members, a detailed exploration of the low-temperature electronic transport properties of high-quality SmTe3 single crystals remains limited. In this study, we synthesized SmTe3 single crystals with a high residual resistivity ratio of 411. Transport measurements reveal pronounced Shubnikov–de Haas quantum oscillations below 30 K. The carriers in the observed Fermi pockets exhibit an extremely small effective mass of 0.119 m0 and a high mobility reaching 3.78×104 cm2 V−1 s−1. Furthermore, the material demonstrates remarkable anisotropic magnetoresistance, indicative of a highly anisotropic Fermi surface. Our work establishes high-quality SmTe3 as a compelling system for studying high-mobility transport in a CDW background, providing crucial insights for potential applications in advanced electronic devices.