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

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.