Abstract
Amorphous and ferromagnetic Al–Ni nanofilms have been grown by the magnetron-sputtering method with some nanosized crystalline grains embedded therein. Resistivity is demonstrated to transit from a positive temperature coefficient to a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) with increasing the fraction of Ni atoms in the Al–Ni nanofilms. The lattice disorder is deduced to induce the Anderson localization of electrons and the formation of polarons so that the NTC of the resistivity is driven in the Al–Ni nanofilms, different from that in the elemental Al and Ni nanofilms. The electron transport in the Al–Ni nanofilms is dominated by polaron hopping while it is also determined by electron–magnon and electron–phonon scatterings. The electron–magnon scatterings are further revealed to have a more important contribution to the electron transport at low temperatures than electron–phonon scatterings in the amorphous Al–Ni nanofilms. A so-called polaron–metal physical model has thus been proposed to well explain the electron transport in disorder lattices with crystalline grains embedded therein. This study may help to optimize the design of nano-engineered devices.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.