Electronic Properities of the Single-Grained Icosahedral Phase of Al–Li–Cu

Abstract

The low-temperature specific heat (1.5 K to 6 K), the electrical resistivity (1 K to room temperature) and the magnetoresistance at 1.4, 4.2 and 10 K have been measured for the single-grained I-phase of Al–Li–Cu with near 6:4:1 composition grown by the Bridgman method. An etching method, which allows us to dissolve only the fcc Al second phase completely, was developed. The density of states at the Fermi energy obtained from the electronic specific heat coefficient is extremely small compared with the corresponding free-electron value. The resistivity at 4.2 K is as high as 870 µΩcm and decreases as \({-}{\sqrt{T}}\) below 20 K and as - T above 20 K, indicating the development of the weak localization of electrons. Magnetic field dependence of the magnetoresistance is consistent with the theory of the localization without involving electron-electron interaction.