Self-Magnetoresistance Effect in Bismuth

Abstract

The self-magnetoresistance of Bi has been calculated for the pre-pinch regime, based on the energy band model proposed by Abeles and Meiboom. The inward-driven electron-hole flow contributes to departures from Ohm’s law in the following ways: a) particle flow due to the Lorentz force of the self-magnetic field gives a pure self-magnetoresistance effect, which decreases the conductivity, b) if the life time of the electron-hole Pairs is not too short, this particle flow distorts the carrier density distribution, creating a diffusion force which opposes the Lorentz force. This effect partially compensates the pure self-magnetoresistance effect, c) if the surface recombination velocity is not zero, the particle flow increases the carrier density, so that the conductivity is increased.