Temperature dependence of the resistivity of Nb: Ni glasses

The temperature dependence of the resistivity rho of Nb/sub 1-c/Ni/sub c/ metallic glasses is reported as a function of concentration in the range c = 0.4 to c = 0.6. This spans the interval in which glasses can be quenched from the melt in this system. We find ..cap alpha.. equivalent (1/rho)(drho/dT) < 0 for all samples studied. We interpret these results in terms of a recent calculation which extends the Ziman theory to metallic glasses. In order to fit the data with this theory one must assume that 2k/sub F/ approx. = k/sub p/, where k/sub p/ is the position of the first peak in the structure factor. Good agreement between the theory and the experiment is found if electron-electron scattering is also included. The fact that ..cap alpha.. < 0 for all glass forming compositions in this system tentatively supports an extension of an electronic model of glass formation proposed for the transition-metal-metalloid systems to these amorphous intertransition-metal alloys.