Structural and transport properties of the topological semimetal TaSb2 at high pressures

We performed in situ high-pressure synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) and electrical transport measurements on topological semimetal TaSb2 in diamond anvil cells with pressures up to 60.0-63.0 GPa. No evident trace of structural phase transitions is observed from our XRD. A fit of the volume versus pressure data by using the third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state yields the bulk modulus B-0=131.2 +/- 3.4 GPa and its first-order derivative B-0(')= 6 +/- 0.3. From ambient pressure to 27.8 GPa, the low-temperature conduction behaviors of TaSb2 stay almost unchanged, exhibiting a power law with the exponent around 3; meanwhile, the magnetoresistance (MR) at 5 K follows a same relationship of MR alpha B-m with m=1.45 +/- 0.10. These results imply that the topological semimetal state of TaSb2 may be robust subjected to pressure, at least to 27.8 GPa.