Origin of giant magnetoresistance in layered nodal-line semimetal TaNiTe5 nanoflakes

Layered transition metal chalcogenides have stimulated a wide research interest due to their many exotic physical properties. In this paper, we studied the magnetotransport properties of the exfoliated TaNiTe5, a recently discovered Dirac nodal-line semimetal. A giant positive magnetoresistance (MR) is observed when the current is parallel to the crystallographic c axis, while it is strongly diminished when the current flows along the a axis. The observed giant MR is gradually suppressed either on reducing the thickness of nanoflake or on increasing temperature. By performing MR measurement in tilted magnetic fields, the interlayer coupling is found to be weakened both by reducing the thickness and by increasing temperature. We propose a mechanism of electron-electron interaction-assisted interlayer transport as a origin of the giant MR. The mechanism is likely to provide a explanation for the giant MR in other layered materials.