Kondo-like scaling of electrical conductivity of Al70−xBxPd20Mn10 (x = 0.5, 1, 2, and 4) quasicrystalline alloys

The electrical-conductivity and magnetization behavior of single-phase Al70−xBxPd20Mn10 (x = 0, 0.5, 1, 2 and 4) quasicrystals have been studied. It has been observed that boron substitution brings drastic changes in the σ-T behavior of Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystals. Even a 0.5 at.% replacement of aluminium by boron causes a drastic change in the σ-T behavior. The σ-T variation shows minima, which shifts rapidly towards high temperature with increasing boron concentration and goes even above the room temperature. Field cool and zero-field cool χ-T behavior shows the paramagnetic nature of the samples. The σ-(ln−1 T) plots show linear behavior and get scaled in a {(σ(T) − σmin)/(σ4 − σmin)} vs (ln−1 T/ln−1 Tmin) plot. These samples show large magnetoresistance with +H2 behavior. Occurrences of these features very strongly indicate the dominating role of Kondo-scattering in electronic transport of this Al-B-Pd-Mn and in general for Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystalline system. The observed σ(T) behavior has been accounted to the occurrence of Kondo-type spin-flip scattering in Al-B-Pd-Mn and Al-Pd-Mn quasicrystals in the presence of weak-localization.