Low-temperature thermal conductivity of a single-grain Y-Mg-Zn icosahedral quasicrystal

K. Giannò, A. V. Sologubenko, M. A. Chernikov, H. R. Ott, I. R. Fisher, and P. C. Canfield
Phys. Rev. B 62, 292 – Published 1 July 2000
PDFExport Citation

Abstract

We report measurements of the thermal conductivity κ(T) of a single-grain icosahedral Y8.6Mg34.6Zn56.8 in the temperature range between 0.1 and 300 K. The quasilattice thermal conductivity κph increases monotonically with T by three orders of magnitude between 0.1 and 23 K. Above 23 K, κph(T) decreases substantially with increasing temperature, typical for high-quality single grain quasicrystals. The decrease ends in a minimum at approximately 140 K. The interpretation of our data is based on a Debye-type relaxation time approximation. At very low temperatures, the corresponding fit reveals that the phonon mean free path is of the order of the smallest sample dimension, while at high temperatures, a power-law decrease of the phonon scattering time with increasing temperature evidences the effect of structural scattering on the mean free path of itinerant quasilattice excitations. The behavior of κph(T) at intermediate temperatures may best be fit by assuming the existence of stacking-fault-like phonon scatterers. No clear evidence for a scattering of phonons by tunneling states has been observed. If compared to previously reported measurements of the thermal conductivity of quasicrystals, these data indicate the very high structural perfection of this quasiperiodic material.

  • Received 13 December 1999

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.62.292

©2000 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

K. Giannò, A. V. Sologubenko, M. A. Chernikov, and H. R. Ott

  • Laboratorium für Festkörperphysik, ETH Hönggerberg, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland

I. R. Fisher and P. C. Canfield

  • Ames Laboratory and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 62, Iss. 1 — 1 July 2000

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review B

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×