Anisotropic Magnetotransport and Exotic Longitudinal Linear Magnetoresistance in WTe2 Crystals

TL;DR

This study reveals anisotropic magnetotransport and an exotic large longitudinal linear magnetoresistance in WTe2 crystals, highlighting complex scattering mechanisms and the material's quasi-1D electronic nature.

Contribution

It provides the first systematic analysis of angular-dependent magnetoresistance in WTe2, discovering a large longitudinal linear magnetoresistance linked to its quasi-1D electronic structure.

Findings

Violation of Kohler rule in transverse magnetoresistance

Anisotropic magnetotransport behavior depending on magnetic field direction

Observation of 1200% longitudinal linear magnetoresistance at 15 T and 2 K

Abstract

WTe2 semimetal, as a typical layered transition-metal dichalcogenide, has recently attracted much attention due to the extremely large, non-saturating parabolic magnetoresistance in perpendicular field. Here, we report a systematic study of the angular dependence of the magnetoresistance in WTe2 single crystal. The violation of the Kohler rule and a significant anisotropic magnetotransport behavior in different magnetic field directions are observed. Surprisingly, when the applied field is parallel to the tungsten chains of WTe2, an exotic large longitudinal linear magnetoresistance as high as 1200% at 15 T and 2 K is identified. Violation of the Kohler rule in transverse magnetoresistance can be understood based on a dual effect of the excitons formation and thermal activation, while large longitudinal linear magnetoresistance reflects perfectly the scattering and nesting of quasi-1D nature of this balanced hole-electron system. Our work will stimulate studies of such double-carrier correlated material and corresponding quantum physics.