Anomalous Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in Topological Insulator Films

Topological insulators are insulating in the bulk but possess spin-momentum locked metallic surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry. The existence of these surface states has been confirmed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). Detecting these surface states by transport measurements, which might at first appear to be the most direct avenue, was shown to be much more challenging than expected. Here, we report a detailed electronic transport study in high quality Bi₂Se₃ topological insulator thin films. Interestingly, measurements under an in-plane magnetic field, along and perpendicular to the bias current show anomalous opposite magnetoresistance.