The anomalous low temperature resistivity of thermally evaporated α-Mn thin film

• Published in: Journal of magnetism and magnetic materials Vol. 322; no. 15; pp. 2235 - 2237
• Main Authors: Ampong, F.K., Boakye, F., Nkum, R.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Antiferromagnetic transition; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electrical properties of specific thin films; Electrical resistivity; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Evaporation; Exact sciences and technology; Kondo scattering; Magnetic properties and materials; Magnetism; Metals and metallic alloys; Order disorder; Physics; Pressure; Saturation; Scattering; Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials (including neutron and spin-polarized electron studies, synchrotron-source x-ray scattering, etc.); Thin films; Kondo scattering; Antiferromagnetic transition; Electrical resistivity; Thin films; Electrical conductivity; Kondo effect; Electron diffraction; Magnetic ordering; Short-range order; High temperature; Manganese
• ISSN: 0304-8853
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jmmm.2010.02.017

Electrical resistivity measurements have been carried out on thermally evaporated α-Mn thin film between 300 and 1.4 K using the van der Pauw four probe technique. The film was grown on a glass substrate held at a temperature of 373 K, in an ambient pressure of 5×10 −6 Torr. The results show a resistance minimum, a notable characteristic of α-Mn but at a (rather high) temperature of 194±1 K. Below the resistivity maximum which corresponds to 70 K, the resistivity drops by only 0.02 μΩm indicating a rather short range magnetic ordering. The low temperature results show a tendency towards saturation of the resistivity as the temperature approaches zero suggesting a Kondo scattering.