Magnetotransport due to conductivity fluctuations in non-magnetic ZrTe2 nanoplates

TL;DR

This study investigates magnetotransport properties in ZrTe2 nanoplates, revealing conductivity fluctuations caused by excess Zr and their impact on negative magnetoresistivity and planar Hall effects, offering insights into topological material transport.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates that conductivity fluctuations due to excess Zr cause negative magnetoresistivity and unique Hall effects in ZrTe2 nanoplates, advancing understanding of transport in topological materials.

Findings

Negative longitudinal magnetoresistivity linked to conductivity fluctuations.

Ellipse-shaped planar Hall resistivity pattern with shifted orbital center.

Conductivity fluctuations influenced by excess Zr in nanoplates.

Abstract

Transition metal dichalcogenides with nontrivial band structures exhibit various fascinating physical properties and have sparked intensively research interest. Here, we performed systematic magnetotransport measurements on mechanical exfoliation prepared ZrTe2 nanoplates. We revealed that the negative longitudinal magnetoresistivity observed at high field region in the presence of parallel electric and magnetic fields could stem from the conductivity fluctuations due to the excess Zr in the nanoplates. In addition, the parametric plot, the planar Hall resistivity as function of the in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistivity, has an ellipse-shaped pattern with shifted orbital center, which further strengthen the evidence for the conductivity fluctuations. Our work provides some useful insights into transport phenomena in topological materials.