Unveiling the phases of bulk ZrTe₅through magnetotransport phenomena

We present a straightforward method which may greatly simplify and lower the threshold for determining the phase of the relatively enigmatic quantum material-ZrTe₅. In this study, without directly probing the band structure, we identify the topological phase of the three-dimensional (3D) bulk ZrTe₅crystal solely through low-temperature electrical and magnetotransport measurements. A two-dimensional (2D) weak antilocalization (WAL) effect was observed in our bulk ZrTe₅crystal, along with clear Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations. The large prefactorαderived from WAL analyses indicates the presence of multiple conducting channels in the bulk ZrTe₅crystal, where each channel is associated with individual 2D ZrTe₅layers. It is the largeαvalue provides insights into the topological Dirac semimetal phase inherent to our ZrTe₅crystal. Additionally, we analyze the pronounced linear magnetoresistance and saturation behavior under a perpendicular magnetic field. Our results suggest that bulk ZrTe₅crystals, which exhibit unique layered transport features, serve as a promising platform for further research in quantum phases and transitions in 3D quantum systems.