Searching for the fractional quantum Hall effect in graphite

Phys Rev Lett. 2009 Sep 11;103(11):116802. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.116802. Epub 2009 Sep 9.

Abstract

Measurements of basal plane longitudinal rho(b)(B) and Hall rho(H)(B) resistivities were performed on highly oriented pyrolytic graphite samples in a pulsed magnetic field up to B=50 T applied perpendicular to graphene planes, and temperatures 1.5 K<or=T<or=4.2 K. At B>30 T and for all studied samples, we observed a sign change in rho(H)(B) from electron- to holelike. For our best quality sample, the measurements revealed the enhancement in rho(b)(B) for B>34 T (T=1.8 K), presumably associated with the field-driven charge density wave or Wigner crystallization transition. In addition, well-defined plateaus in rho(H)(B) were detected in the ultraquantum limit revealing possible signatures of the fractional quantum Hall effect in graphite.