Unusual high-field metal in a Kondo insulator

Strong electronic interactions in condensed-matter systems often lead to unusual quantum phases. One such phase occurs in the Kondo insulator YbB 12 , the insulating state of which exhibits phenomena that are characteristic of metals, such as magnetic quantum oscillations 1 , a gapless fermionic contribution to heat capacity 2 , 3 and itinerant-fermion thermal transport 3 . To understand these phenomena, it is informative to study their evolution as the energy gap of the Kondo insulator state is closed by a large magnetic field. Here we show that clear quantum oscillations are observed in the resulting high-field metallic state in YbB 12 ; this is despite it possessing relatively high resistivity, large effective masses and huge Kadowaki–Woods ratio, a combination that normally precludes quantum oscillations. Both quantum oscillation frequency and cyclotron mass display a strong field dependence. By tracking the Fermi surface area, we conclude that the same quasiparticle band gives rise to quantum oscillations in both insulating and metallic states. These data are understood most simply by using a two-fluid picture in which neutral quasiparticles—contributing little or nothing to charge transport—coexist with charged fermions. Our observations of the complex field-dependent behaviour of the fermion ensemble inhabiting YbB 12 provide strong constraints for existing theoretical models.