Temperature dependence of the resistivity of Nb: Ni glasses

Abstract

The temperature dependence of the resistivity $\rho$ of ${\mathrm{Nb}}_{1-c}{\mathrm{Ni}}_c$ metallic glasses is reported as a function of concentration in the range $c=0.4\mathrm{}$ to $c=0.6\mathrm{}$. This spans the interval in which glasses can be quenched from the melt in this system. We find $\alpha \equiv \left(\frac{1}{\rho }\right)\left(\frac{d\rho }{\mathrm{dT}}\right)<\mathrm{}0\mathrm{}$ for all samples studied. We interpret these results in terms of a recent calculation which extends the Ziman theory to metallic glasses. In order to fit the data with this theory one must assume that $2k_F\simeq k_p$, where $k_p$ is the position of the first peak in the structure factor. Good agreement between the theory and the experiment is found if electron-electron scattering is also included. The fact that $\alpha <0\mathrm{}$ for all glass forming compositions in this system tentatively supports an extension of an electronic model of glass formation proposed for the transition-metal-metalloid systems to these amorphous intertransition-metal alloys.