Weak Localization and Superconductivity of PdxBi2Se3 Whiskers at Low Temperature

The resistance-temperature dependence of Bi2Se3 whiskers with a Pd doping concentration of (1 to 2) × 10¹⁹cm⁻³ was measured within the temperature range of 1.5 to 77 K. A sharp fall in resistance was observed at 5.3 K, which is most likely attributed to electron localization and the onset of superconductivity below this temperature. The magnetoresistance of n-type Bi2Se3 whiskers with varying palladium doping concentrations, corresponding to the metallic side of the metal-insulator transition, was investigated at low temperatures under a magnetic field ranging from 0 to 10 T. The magnetoconductance of the whiskers is analyzed within the framework of the weak antilocalization model and is associated with the subsurface layers of the Bi2Se3 whiskers.