Transverse magnetoresistance induced by electron-surface scatteringon thin gold films

Abstract

tWe report new experimental data regarding the transverse magnetoresistance measured in a family ofthin gold films of different thickness with the electric field E oriented perpendicular to the magnetic field B(both fields contained within the plane of the film), as well as a theoretical description of size effects basedupon a solution of Boltzmann Transport Equation. The measurements were performed at low tempera-tures T (4 K ≤ T ≤ 50 K) under magnetic field strengths B (1.5 T ≤ B ≤ 9 T). The magnetoresistance signal canbe univocally identified as arising from electron-surface scattering, for the Hall mobility at 4 K dependslinearly on film thickness. The magnetoresistance signal exhibits a marked thickness dependence, and itscurvature as a function of magnetic field B varies with film thickness. The theoretical description of themagnetic field dependence of the magnetoresistance requires a Hall field that varies with the thicknessof the film; this Hall field is tuned to reproduce the experimental data.