Spin-disorder resistivity in the paramagnetic state of the heavy rare-earth dihydrides

We present systematic measurements of the paramagnetic spin-disorder resistivity ρₘ in Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, and Er dihydrides. We observe that ρₘ is strongly affected by crystalline-field effects especially as concerns DyH₂ and ErH₂. The absolute values of ρₘ are much smaller than in the corresponding pure metals, an effect which can be attributed in part to modifications, with hydrogen, of the electronic band structure, but it implies also a reduction of the fundamental exchange interaction between conduction and localized electron spins.