Resistivity saturation in metallic liquids above a dynamical crossover temperature observed in measurements aboard the International Space Station

Abstract

Although a resistivity saturation (minimum conductivity) is often observed in disordered metallic solids, such phenomena in the corresponding liquids are not known. Here we report a saturation of the electrical resistivity in Zr64Ni36 and Cu50Zr50 liquids above a dynamical crossover temperature for the viscosity (TA). The measurements were made for the levitated liquids under the microgravity conditions of the International Space Station. Based on recent molecular dynamics simulations, the saturation is likely due to the ineffectiveness of electron-phonon scattering above TA when the phonon lifetime becomes too short compared to the electron relaxation time. This is different from the conventional resistivity saturation mechanisms in solids.