Temperature dependence of the resistivity of Nb: Ni glasses

The temperature dependence of the resistivity ρ of Nb_1-cNic metallic glasses is reported as a function of concentration in the range $c=0.4$ to $c=0.6$. This spans the interval in which glasses can be quenched from the melt in this system. We find α≡(1ρ)(dρdT)<0 for all samples studied. We interpret these results in terms of a recent calculation which extends the Ziman theory to metallic glasses. In order to fit the data with this theory one must assume that 2kFkₚ, where kₚ is the position of the first peak in the structure factor. Good agreement between the theory and the experiment is found if electron-electron scattering is also included. The fact that α<0 for all glass forming compositions in this system tentatively supports an extension of an electronic model of glass formation proposed for the transition-metal-metalloid systems to these amorphous intertransition-metal alloys.