Electrical Resistivity, Thermal Conductivity and Magnetic Susceptibility of Polycrystalline Samarium at Low Temperatures

Abstract

Electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity, and magnetic susceptibility have been measured, using the same sample of samarium, from 4 to 300 °K, from 5 to 200 °K, and from 4 to 300 °K, respectively. Two anomalies, one at 12 ± 1 °K and another at 106 ± 1 °K, are observed, resulting from an order-order magnetic transformation and an antiferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition, respectively. The Lorenz function is found to be larger at any temperature than that expected for pure electronic thermal conductivity. This implies that there is some phonon and possibly also some magnon thermal conductivity in samarium at low temperatures. The magnetic moment disorder electrical resistivity of samarium is determined to be 39.0 ± 0.5 μΩ cm, in fair agreement with the value to be expected from theoretical considerations.