Unconventional magnetoresistance in long InSb nanowires

Magnetoresistance in long correlated nanowires of degenerate semiconductor InSb in asbestos matrix (wire diameter of around 5 nm, length 0.1-1 mm) is studied in the temperature range 2.3-300 K. At zero magnetic field, the electric conduction G and the current-voltage characteristics of such wires obey the power laws G proportional to T-alpha, I proportional to V-beta, expected for one-dimensional electron systems. The effect of the magnetic field corresponds to a 20% growth of the exponents alpha, beta at H = 10 T. The observed magnetoresistance is caused by the magnetic-field-induced breaking of the spin-charge separation and represents a novel mechanism of magnetoresistance. (C) 2003 MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica.