Metals and superconductors

Effect of severe plastic deformation on the electronic properties of the Cu$_{72}$Au$_{24}$Ag$_4$ alloy

N. I. Kourov, V. G. Pushin, A. V. Korolev, Yu. V. Knyazev, L. N. Buinova, N. V. Gokhfeld, V. P. Pilyugin

Institute of Metal Physics, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg

Abstract: The electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of the Cu$_{72}$Au$_{24}$Ag$_4$ ternary alloy in the ordered and disordered states have been studied by the method of severe torsional plastic deformation under pressure in Bridgman anvils. It has been shown that, as a result of this deformation, the residual electrical resistivity of the alloy increases by approximately 11% and the magnitude of the negative thermopower decreases. The high diamagnetic susceptibility of the alloy has been explained by a significant role of charge carriers with the effective mass considerably smaller than the free-electron mass. The behavior of the optical conductivity has been discussed with due regard for the results of energy-band calculations. The experimental data obtained for the Cu$_{72}$Au$_{24}$Ag$_4$ alloy have been compared with the results of similar studies of the Cu$_3$Au binary alloy.

Received: 14.04.2009
Accepted: 13.05.2009

 English version: Physics of the Solid State, 2010, 52:1, 12–17

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