Applied Physics Letters
Uniaxial strain-induced spin zero effect in ZrTe₅
Applied Physics Letters · 129, 083103 (2026)
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Introduction
The researchers stretched a ZrTe₅ crystal along its a axis while measuring quantum oscillations in its electrical resistance. As strain increased, the oscillation passed through a node and reappeared with the opposite sign. The authors connect that reversal to interference between two cyclotron orbits split by the magnetic field.
A closer reading
Compare the oscillation amplitude with the intercept of the Landau fan. The amplitude crosses zero, while the intercept stays near the value associated with a π Berry phase. That combination favors cancellation between spin components. A reversed waveform on its own would leave open a different interpretation involving a change in the overall orbital phase.