Heat treatment effects in amorphous metals: Zr70Cu30 and La70Cu30

We measured the electrical resistivity (4–300 K), superconducting critical temperature and thermal conductivity (0.5–7 K) of the amorphous metals Zr₇₀Cu₃₀ and La₇₀Cu₃₀. Heat treatments below crystallization temperature induced changes in these properties. In particular, in the first stage of the annealing of Zr₇₀Cu₃₀ there are systematic changes in the thermal conductivity and the critical temperature, while the electrical resistivity remains constant. We show that there is no simple correlation between the thermal conductivity processes in the low temperature and plateau regions. We also show that the thermal conductivity of as quenched La₇₀Cu₃₀ is typical of amorphous metals, contrary to information previously reported.