Anderson localization, the absence of diffusive transport in disordered systems, has been manifested as hopping transport in numerous electronic systems, whereas in recently discovered topological insulators it has not been directly observed. Here, we report experimental demonstration of a crossover from diffusive transport in the weak antilocalization regime to variable range hopping transport in the Anderson localization regime with ultrathin $({\mathrm{Bi}}_{1-x}{\mathrm{Sb}}_x{)}_2{\mathrm{Te}}_3$ films. As disorder becomes stronger, negative magnetoconductivity due to the weak antilocalization is gradually suppressed, and eventually, positive magnetoconductivity emerges when the electron system becomes strongly localized. This work reveals the critical role of disorder in the quantum transport properties of ultrathin topological insulator films, in which theories have predicted rich physics related to topological phase transitions.

• Received 10 February 2015

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.216601