We present a 3ω method for simultaneously measuring the specific heat and thermal conductivity of a rod- or filament-like specimen using a way similar to a four-probe resistance measurement. The specimen in this method needs to be electrically conductive and with a temperature-dependent resistance, for acting both as a heater to create a temperature fluctuation and as a sensor to measure its thermal response. With this method, we have successfully measured the specific heat and thermal conductivity of platinum wire specimens at cryogenic temperatures, and measured those thermal quantities of tiny carbon nanotube bundles some of which are only ∼10−9 g in mass.

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Minor yttrium addition can improve the glass-forming ability of Cu-Zr-Al ternary alloys via suppression of the growth of eutectic clusters. Yttrium addition also makes the room temperature ductility of the alloys decrease, and both the compressive strength and elastic strain limits increase slightly.

Classical magnetoresistance (MR) in nonmagnetic metals are conventionally understood in terms of the Kohler rule, with violation usually viewed as anomalous electron transport, in particular, as evidence of non-Fermi liquid behavior. Measurement of the MR of Au films as a function of temperature and film thickness reveals a strong dependence on grain size distribution and clear violation of the Kohler rule. Using a model of random resistor network, we show that this result can be explained if the MR arises entirely from inhomogeneity due to grain boundary scattering and thermal activation of grain boundary atoms. Consequently, the Kohler rule should not be used to distinguish normal and anomalous electron transport in solids. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.

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