Dirac‐Like Fermions Anomalous Magneto‐Transport in a Spin‐Polarized Oxide 2D Electron System

Abstract

In a 2D electron system (2DES) the breaking of the inversion, time‐reversal and bulk crystal‐field symmetries is interlaced with the effects of spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) triggering exotic quantum phenomena. Here, epitaxial engineering is used to design and realize a 2DES characterized simultaneously by ferromagnetic order, large Rashba SOC and hexagonal band warping at the (111) interfaces between LaAlO3, EuTiO3, and SrTiO3 insulators. The 2DES displays anomalous quantum corrections to the magneto‐conductance driven by the time‐reversal‐symmetry breaking occurring below the magnetic transition temperature. The results are explained by the emergence of a non‐trivial Berry phase and competing weak anti‐localization/weak localization back‐scattering of Dirac‐like fermions, mimicking the phenomenology of gapped topological insulators. These findings open perspectives for the engineering of novel spin‐polarized functional 2DES holding promises in spin‐orbitronics and topological electronics.