Low temperature thermal and electrical transport properties of ZrZn2 in high magnetic field

Abstract

The low temperature electrical and thermal transport properties of the itinerant ferromagnet ZrZn2 were investigated in order to explore the nature of the Fermi-liquid breakdown in this material. We have implemented electrical and thermal conductivity measurements down to temperatures of 100 mK and in high magnetic field. In zero field and above 2 K the electrical and effective thermal resistivities take a T5/3 and T-linear form, respectively. These are the signatures of the marginal Fermi-liquid, predicted to occur close to a ferromagnetic quantum critical point by spin fluctuation theory. In contrast, we find that below 2 K and in external magnetic field the electrical resistivity assumes a quadratic temperature dependence, consistent with a return to conventional Fermi-liquid behaviour.