Strong anisotropic transport properties of quasi-one-dimensional ZrTe3 nanoribbons

Abstract

Transition metal trichalcogenides (TMTCs) with quasi-one-dimensional (quasi-1D) structures have attracted extensive interest in diverse fields because of their unique electronic properties. Herein, we report strong in-plane anisotropic transport properties of ZrTe3 nanoribbons, which originate from their quasi-1D structures. ZrTe3 nanoribbons were mechanically exfoliated from bulk single crystals, and transport properties, including electrical conductivity (σ) and Seebeck coefficient (S), were measured in the longitudinal and transverse directions of the rectangular nanoribbons. σ was higher in the transverse direction than that in the longitudinal direction. S measurement revealed further clear anisotropic characteristics, and positive and negative S values were obtained in the longitudinal and transverse directions, respectively. Furthermore, a significant change in the transport properties was observed with a post treatment, and the potential of ZrTe3 for transport property modulation was confirmed. We believe that our findings will contribute to the understanding of anisotropic transport in quasi-1D ZrTe3 and expansion of the application fields of quasi-1D ZrTe3.