Weak antilocalization in the transition metal telluride Ta$_2$Pd$_3$Te$_5$

Abstract

We report transport studies on the layered van der Waals topological crystalline insulator Ta$_2$Pd$_3$Te$_5$. The temperature-dependent resistance at high temperature is dominated by a bulk insulating gap and tend to saturate at low temperatures. Low temperature magnetotransport shows that Ta$_2$Pd$_3$Te$_5$ exhibits weak antilocatization (WAL) effect in both perpendicular orientation and parallel orientation, suggesting an contribution of the WAL effect from both topological edge states and bulk states. By measuring the anisotropic magnetoconductance and then subtracting the contribution of bulk states, the WAL effect associated with topological edge states can be revealed and analyzed quantitatively based on the two-dimensional Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model. Our results have important implications in understanding the WAL phenomena in Ta$_2$Pd$_3$Te$_5$.