Change in electrical resistivity associated with the glass transition in a continuously cooled Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 melt

We report a reversible change in electrical resistivity accompanied with the glass transition (glass transition temperature T-g = 570 K) in a Pd40Cu30Ni10P20 bulk glass. The bulk glass with a diameter of about 5 mm and length of 30 mm was produced at a maximum cooling rate of 1.2 K/s. This bulk glass showed a negative temperature coefficient of resistivity -0.81 x 10(-4) K-1, at room temperature, -4.17 x 10(-4) K-1 in the supercooled liquid region, and -2.75 x 10(-4) K-1 in the liquid state. The undercooled liquid alloy beyond eutectic temperature T-m = 804 K did not show the onset of crystallization until room temperature. The behavior of resistivity around T-g was in accordance with the heating to and cooling from the melt. This suggests that the amorphous structure might vary reversibly according to the glass transition in the present glass. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(00)04015-8].