From crystal growth to repeated measurements: SUSTech profiles the ZrTe₅ experiment
A university feature follows the experimental work behind the May 8 paper, including crystal selection and measurements on many samples.
In the university’s account, Peipei Wang recalled the difficulty of obtaining crystals with sufficiently high mobility. Zhang worked with Genda Gu at Brookhaven National Laboratory to obtain higher-mobility ZrTe₅ crystals. Selecting samples with a single electron pocket helped simplify the transport analysis.
First author Fangdong Tang recalled that measurements on some high-quality samples took weeks. The SUSTech experimental group worked with collaborators at USTC, the Singapore University of Technology and Design and other institutions to compare transport data with theoretical analysis.