Transport properties of Ti-Ni-Zr films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Quasicrystalline Ti41.5Ni17Zr41.5 thin films have been synthesized at different temperatures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) from a Nd:YAG laser. Electrical resistivity, Hall coefficient, magnetoresistance and thermopower measurements have been conducted in the 4.4–300 K or 70–300 K temperature range. Ti41.5Ni17Zr41.5 quasicrystals are characterized by a high electrical conductivity, an order of magnitude higher than in other quasicrystals, independent of their morphology and microstructure. Hall measurements indicate that the films have a high carrier concentration. Thermoelectric powers in Ti41.5Ni17Zr41.5 have relatively small magnitudes and the values have been found to depend on the microstructure.