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Title: Anisotropic resistivity and normal-state magnetoresistance of RNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C (R=Y, Lu, Er, Ho)

Journal Article · · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter
;  [1];  [2]
  1. IRC in Superconductivity, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 OHE (United Kingdom)
  2. Ames Laboratory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011 (United States)

Results of direct measurements of the in-plane and c-axis resistivity of single crystals of RNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C (R=Y, Lu, Er, Ho) are presented. Despite the layered crystal structure, the resistivity of these materials is shown to be fundamentally isotropic. Small deviations from this isotropic behavior are observed below approximately 150 K for the compounds containing magnetic rare-earth ions (Er and Ho), probably due to crystal-electric-field effects. In addition, it is shown that the in-plane normal-state resistivity of ErNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C and HoNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C follows the same temperature dependence as that of the nonmagnetic materials (YNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C and LuNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C), but with an additional temperature-independent contribution (i.e., the resistivity of the magnetic compounds is shifted upwards by a few {mu}{Omega}cm). The observation of a striking negative longitudinal magnetoresistance for HoNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C, which is not observed for LuNi{sub 2}B{sub 2}C, indicates that this difference is due to spin-disorder scattering. {copyright} {ital 1997} {ital The American Physical Society}

OSTI ID:
544906
Journal Information:
Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter, Vol. 56, Issue 17; Other Information: PBD: Nov 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English