TOWARD INSULATING QUASI-CRYSTALLINE ALLOY IN AL-PD-RE ICOSAHEDRAL PHASE

The resistivities in Al70Pd20Re10 alloy of the icosahedral phase are quite sample dependent, possibly due to slight variation of the alloy composition. In some samples, the resistivity at room temperature is approximately 0.01 OMEGA.cm and that at 4.2 K is as high as approximately 0.1 OMEGA.cm; these values are much higher than any values reported so far for quasicrystals. The temperature dependence of the conductivity is almost linear above 4.2 K, and the magnetoconductivity is negative. Such dependence is interpreted by the theory of weak localization which takes into account the spin-orbit scattering.