Low-temperature electrical resistivity of as-cast glassy, relaxed, and crystallized Pd₄₀Cu₃₀Ni₁₀P₂₀ alloys

Low-temperature (300–4.2 K) electrical resistivity behaviours of as-cast glassy, relaxed, and crystallized Pd₄₀Ni₁₀Cu₃₀P₂₀ alloys have been investigated. It is found that the resistivity of the as-cast glassy alloy is about 257 µΩ cm at ambient temperature and decreases with a temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) of 2.1 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ in the temperature range of 280–50 K and 89 × 10⁻⁴ K⁻¹ in the temperature range of 12–4.2 K. The relaxation effect slightly increases the resistivity by a factor of about 10% while crystallization decreases the resistivity of the alloy. Surprisingly, we found that all samples, as-cast glassy, relaxed, crystallized, and well-crystallized alloys, exhibit similar temperature dependences of the electrical resistivity in the temperature range investigated. TCR changes at around 10–20 K for all samples are linked with rapid increase of the magnetization in the alloys.