Effects of absorbed hydrogen on the electronic properties of (Zi sub(2)Fe) sub(1-x)H sub(x) metallic glasses

The electrical conductivity ([sigma]) of hydrogen doped (Zr sub(2)Fe) sub(1-x)H sub(x) metallic glasses has been measured in the temperature range from 290 down to 5 K. The decrease of the room temperature conductivity and the increase of its temperature coefficient are explained as consequences of increased disorder due to hydrogen doping. [sigma](T) for (Zr sub(2)Fe) sub(1-x)H sub(x) metallic glasses at low temperatures decreases with the increase of temperature, forming a minimum at T sub(min), before it starts a monotonic increase with increasing temperature. Both the functional forms and the magnitudes of the observed [sigma] (T) are interpreted in terms of weak localization, electron-electron interaction and spin-fluctuation effects. Our results reveal that the electron-phonon scattering rate varies with the square of temperature from low temperatures up to 100 K and changes behaviour to a linear form at higher temperatures. At low temperatures, the minimum in [sigma](T) is shifted to higher temperatures, which is ascribed to the increase of the screening parameter of the Coulomb interaction F* associated with the enhancement of the spin fluctuations arising from the increase of the hydrogen doping. The spin-orbit scattering rate and the electron diffusion constant are reduced by hydrogen doping.