Magnetoresistive-coupled transistor using the Weyl semimetal NbP

Abstract

Semiconductor transistors operate by modulating the charge carrier concentration of a channel material through an electric field coupled by a capacitor. This mechanism is con-strained by the fundamental transport physics and material properties of such devices – attenuation of the electric field, and limited mobility and charge carrier density in semiconductor channels. In this work, we demonstrate a new type of transistor that operates through a different mechanism. The channel material is a Weyl semimetal, NbP, whose resistivity is modulated via a magnetic field generated by an integrated superconductor. Due to the exceptionally large electron mobility of this material, which reaches over 1,000,000 $cm^2/Vs$, and the strong magnetoresistive coupling, the transistor can generate significant transconductance amplification at nanowatt levels of power. This type of device can enable new low-power amplifiers, suitable for qubit readout operation in quantum computers.