Magnetoresistivity of itinerant electron metamagnets: RCo2 and Y(AlxCo1−x)2 compounds (R=Y, Lu, and Sc)

Abstract The temperature and the magnetic field dependencies of magnetoresistivity of paramagnetic RCo 2 compounds (R=Y, Lu, and Sc), and paramagnetic and weakly ferromagnetic Y(Al x Co 1− x ) 2 alloys (0⩽ x ⩽0.15) have been measured at temperatures of 2–300 K, in magnetic fields up to 15 T. The magnetoresistivity is positive in paramagnetic and in weakly ferromagnetic compounds at low temperatures. A simple phenomenological model is proposed to explain the results.