Resistivity Minimum in Highly Frustrated Itinerant Magnets

TL;DR

This paper investigates how strong magnetic frustration in itinerant magnets leads to a liquid-like spin state that causes a resistivity minimum due to enhanced electron scattering at low temperatures.

Contribution

It reveals a link between magnetic frustration-induced spin liquid states and resistivity behavior in itinerant magnets, highlighting a new mechanism for resistivity minima.

Findings

Resistivity upturn occurs at low temperatures due to spin structure factor enhancement.

Frustration stabilizes a liquid-like spin state below the RKKY interaction scale.

Enhanced electron scattering is driven by spin correlations at specific wave vectors.

Abstract

We study the transport properties of frustrated itinerant magnets comprising localized {\it classical} moments, which interact via exchange with the conduction electrons. Strong frustration stabilizes a liquidlike spin state, which extends down to temperatures well below the effective Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction scale. The crossover into this state is characterized by spin structure factor enhancement at wave vectors smaller than twice the Fermi wave vector magnitude. The corresponding enhancement of electron scattering generates a resistivity upturn at decreasing temperatures.