Hall effect, resistivity and superconductivity of some metastable uranium-rich alloys

Abstract

The Hall effect and electrical resistivity of metastable γ-phase (b.c.c.) binary alloys of uranium containing 11.6, 21.7 and 30.5 atomic percent molybdenum and 22.2 atomic percent niobium have been studied between ∼ 1°K and room temperature in magnetic fields up to 30 kG. The Hall coefficients of the latter three alloys were positive and only weakly temperature-dependent, while the Hall coefficient of the 11.6 atomic percent molybdenum alloy was strongly dependent upon both temperature and magnetic field. All samples exhibited superconductivity below ∼ 2°K and were characterized by weak negative temperature coefficients of resistivity between the transition temperatures and room temperature. Magnetic fields of ∼ 30 kG were required to restore the normal resistivity at 1.2°K. The bearing of the results of this investigation on an understanding of the electronic structure of the γ-phase is discussed.