The electrical resistivity of liquid transition metals

Abstract

Abstract A discussion is given of the electrical properties of liquid transition metals and of liquid alloy systems such as Ge-Co. It is suggested that the model of Evans, Greenwood and Lloyd (1971) is valid for the latter, even for quite high concentrations of the transition metal, but that for pure liquid transition metals a different model similar to that used for crystals is appropriate, involving s—d transitions and with different mean free paths for s—p and for d electrons. In this model the resistivity does not depend much on the structure factor, so a small change of resistivity on melting and a change of [sgrave] with T such that d In[sgrave]/dT |Da 1/T is predicted. It is pointed out, however, that electron-electron collisions may make a large contribution to the resistivity and to d In σ/dT. A discussion is given of some features of the Ge-Co and Ge-Fe liquid alloys investigated by. Busch and his collaborators; it is suggested that the temperature-dependence of the resistivity may be due to a Kondo-type narrowing of the resonance, similar to that observed at low temperatures in spin glasses.