Quantum interference effects in titanium nitride films at low temperatures

Highlights: • The resistivity minimum observed in non-magnetic stoichiometric TiN thin film system. • The resistivity minima is independent of the nature of disorder. • Below the minima, the resistivity is described by quantum interference effect. -- Abstract: Detailed electrical resistivity (ρ) measurements have been carried out in epitaxial TiN thin films in the temperature (T) range of 4 ≤ T ≤ 300 K in magnetic fields from 0 to 6 T. The ρ (T) data show distinct minima around 38 K, which remains unaffected by the external magnetic fields. At higher temperatures (100−300K), the ρ(T) behavior was found to be linear in agreement with classical electron-phonon interactions (∝T). Below the minima, the ρ(T) is unequivocally described by the quantum interference effect (∝ − $\sqrt{T}$). The value of the coefficient of the $\sqrt{T}$ term matches well with the near-universal value.