Crystallographically dependent bilinear magnetoelectric resistance in a thin WTe2 layer

The recently reported bilinear magnetoeletric resistance (BMR) in novel materials with rich spin textures, such as bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) and tungsten ditelluride (WTe2), opens new possibilities for probing the spin textures via magnetotransport measurements. By its nature, the BMR effect is directly linked to the crystal symmetry of the materials and its spin texture. Therefore, understanding the crystallographic dependency of the effect is crucial. Here we report the observation of crystallographically dependent BMR in thin WTe2 layers and explore how it is linked to its spin textures. The linear response measured in first-harmonic signals and the BMR measured in second-harmonic signals are both studied under a wide range of magnitudes and directions of the magnetic field and applied current and at different temperatures. We discover a threefold symmetry contribution of the BMR when current is applied along the a axis of the WTe2 thin layer at 10 K, which is absent when current is applied along the b axis.