[Formula: see text]-linear resistivity from magneto-elastic scattering: Application to PdCrO₂

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Quantum Materials

Background:

• Strongly correlated systems with itinerant carriers and localized magnetic moments are crucial for understanding complex electronic behaviors.
• Electrical transport in such systems is significantly influenced by scattering mechanisms between charge carriers and local magnetic moments.
• Layered materials offer unique platforms to investigate these interactions due to their distinct electronic and magnetic properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the origin of the pronounced T-linear resistivity observed in ultraclean PdCrO₂.
• To differentiate the scattering mechanisms responsible for the observed transport properties from conventional electron-phonon interactions.
• To propose and validate a novel scattering mechanism in layered strongly correlated materials.

Main Methods:

• Experimental analysis of electrical transport characteristics in ultraclean PdCrO₂.
• Comparative study with a related material, PdCoO₂, featuring band-insulating layers.
• Theoretical proposal and analysis of an electron-magneto-elastic scattering mechanism.

Main Results:

• PdCrO₂ exhibits a significant regime of T-linear resistivity over a wide intermediate temperature range.
• Electron-phonon interactions were ruled out as the primary cause by contrasting with PdCoO₂.
• A novel electron-magneto-elastic interaction involving itinerant electrons, local magnetic moments, and phonons was identified as the dominant scattering mechanism.

Conclusions:

• The T-linear resistivity in PdCrO₂ arises from a previously overlooked electron-magneto-elastic scattering process.
• This mechanism enhances resistivity at temperatures well above magnetic ordering.
• Further experiments are proposed to confirm this model in PdCrO₂ and similar layered materials.