Induced anisotropy of conductivity and electronic structure of glassy ZrNi alloys

Abstract

A change in resistivity, due to uniaxial stress in the elastic region has been measured for several amorphous Zr 1− x Ni x alloys. The strain gauge factor ( K) decreases linearly with x and is independent of temperature (80 K < T < 300 K) which makes these alloys useful for strain gauges. The induced anisotropy of conductivity (γ) at room temperature was measured and the change in resistivity with volume (−δ) evaluated. The values of δ are in good agreement with those obtained from the measurements under hydrostatic pressure. In Zr 1− x Ni x alloys γ decreases faster with x than in Zr 1− x Cu x , and reaches zero for x = 0.65. This variation of γ with x compares well with the observed decrease in the electronic density of states at the Fermi level with x and lends further support to the relation between γ and the d-electron contribution to conductivity.