Magnetic-field-induced Luttinger insulator state in quasi-one-dimensional conductors

Abstract

We present a heuristic, semiphenomenological model of the anomalous temperature (T) dependence of resistivity $\rho_{xx}$ recently observed experimentally in the quasi-one-dimensional (Q1D) organic conductors of the (TMTSF)2X family in moderately strong magnetic fields. We suggest that a Q1D conductor behaves like an insulator ($d\rho_{xx}/dT<0$), when its effective dimensionality is one, and like a metal ($d\rho_{xx}/dT>0$), when its effective dimensionality is greater than one. Applying a magnetic field reduces the effective dimensionality of the system and switches the temperature dependence of resistivity between the insulating and metallic laws depending on the magnitude of the magnetic field and its orientation along the ``magic'' and ``nonmagic'' angles.