Quantum oscillations and high carrier mobility in the delafossite PdCoO(2)

Phys Rev Lett. 2012 Sep 14;109(11):116401. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.116401. Epub 2012 Sep 10.

Abstract

We present de Haas-van Alphen and resistivity data on single crystals of the delafossite PdCoO(2). At 295 K we measure an in-plane resistivity of 2.6 μΩ cm, making PdCoO(2) the most conductive oxide known. The low-temperature in-plane resistivity has an activated rather than the usual T(5) temperature dependence, suggesting a gapping of effective scattering that is consistent with phonon drag. Below 10 K, the transport mean free path is ∼20 μm, approximately 10(5) lattice spacings and an astoundingly high value for flux-grown crystals. We discuss the origin of these properties in light of our data.