The Shubnikov de Haas effect is used to determine the electron and hole mobilities in a bismuth nanowire. We identify an excess hole density from a doping effect introduced during the on-film-formation-of-nanowires fabrication process. Three electron subbands and a single hole band contribute to the oscillatory magnetoresistance and these bands can be decomposed by fast Fourier transform analysis of ${\rho }_{\text{xx}}$ into different orbits on an anisotropic Fermi surface. A nonharmonic Shubnikov de Haas oscillation from the hole band is due to variation in the carrier density with applied magnetic field. Electron and hole scattering is dominated by a short-range potential with a hole mobility of $5000{\text{cm}}^2{\text{V}}^{-1}{\text{s}}^{-1}$ and an electron mobility of $20000{\text{cm}}^2{\text{V}}^{-1}{\text{s}}^{-1}$ at 1.6 K. Mobility analysis of the fast Fourier transform of ${\rho }_{\text{xx}}$ is used to determine the individual three electron and single hole subband mobilities.

• Received 31 March 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.82.245310