ZrTe₅ flakes show negative magnetoresistance for two in-plane field directions
Resistance decreased as the in-plane magnetic field grew, both when the field followed the current and when it crossed it.
Measurements of negative magnetoresistance often focus on a field parallel to the current. In these ZrTe₅ flakes, rotating the field within the plane showed that resistance could also fall with increasing field when the field was perpendicular to the current.
To account for the response in both directions, the authors considered the Berry curvature and orbital magnetic moment of the electrons together. Liyuan Zhang at SUSTech is a coauthor of the Science Bulletin paper.