Absolute temperature measurement (T < 100 mK region) from anisotropy of gamma radiations emitted from oriented⁶⁰Co nuclei in a single crystal of hcp cobalt is found to depend on the shape of the crystal. This dependence is attributed to some closure magnetic domains not oriented along thec-axis of the disc shaped crystal studied. A long rectangular strip of cobalt crystal is found to give correct angular distribution ofγ-radiations and, therefore, suitable for thermometry.

The electrical resistivity of soft solder (Pb_0.28Sn_0.72) has been measured in the temperature range 4.2 K to 300 K. The ‘alloy’ becomes electrically superconducting at a temperature of 6.9 K. Above this, in the entire temperature range, the resistivity could be described, apart from the residual resistivity, by the weighted average of the resistivities of the individual constituents which are derived from the Bloch-Grüneisen relation. The results are in accordance with the phase diagram, which shows a co-existence of two phases in almost the entire range of concentration of the Pb-Sn binary system. It has been shown that the thermal conductivity data on soft solder as well as on Pb_0.7Sn_0.3, both taken from literature, could be interpreted on the same basis, below and above the ‘superconducting transition temperature’. Recent results on other Pb-Sn systems are discussed in the light of this interpretation.

Titanium-rich transition metal alloys are metastable in their quenched boc β phase. The instability is relieved by low temperature structural transformations. We have investigated this in a series of Ti-Nb alloys, through the measurements of electrical resistivity (ρ), superconducting transition temperature and upper critical field. Supporting structural evidence has been obtained from transmission electron microscopy (tem) and x-ray studies. It is shown that both ρ and dρ/dT can be used as useful indices of this instability. The enhanced value of resistivity on account of the instability results in the enhancement of upper critical field as shown from dH_c2/dT measurements.

Niobium-titanium is the most widely used technical superconductor. Titaniumrich transition metal alloys, quenched from high temperatures, can generally be retained in the bccβ phase. This phase is metastable and the instability is relieved by a variety of low temperature structural transformations. This aspect has been investigated using x-ray, TEM, low temperature resistivity,T_c and dH_c2/dT studies, in a series of Nb-Ti alloys. The instability has been characterized by the normal state resistivityρ_n and dρ/dT.

The commercially used Nb-Ti alloys are Ti rich per atom-wise. This stems basically from the anomalous increase in the normal state resistivityρ_n as the Ti concentration is increased. This is a consequence of a dynamical process through which theβ phase instability tends to be relieved leading to athermal ω precipitation. The resulting anomalous resistivity behaviour can be understood in terms of a ‘two-level system’ model generally invoked for amorphous materials. It has also been possible to induce instability towards athermal ω precipitation in a system spontaneously undergoing a martensitic transformation to become stable. Thus in an alloy of Nb-83 at % Ti, addition of 1% nitrogen has suppressed the martensitic transformation, giving a three-fold increase inρ_n (about 150µΘ cm), the highest known in Nb-Ti so far.

The increase in the normal state resistivity has beneficial effects on the upper critical field. From studies on several Nb-Ti alloys, it is inferred that a peak inH_c2(0) occurs at 17–18 tesla at aρ_n value of 100µΘ cm. It is pointed out that in the present commercial alloys, the sequence of thermo-mechanical treatments given to optimizeJ_c, restrictsρ_n, perhaps owing to the partial relieving of the metastability of theβ phase. They are therefore non-optimized with respect toH_c2.

The structure of multilayered carbon tubules has been investigated by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The structure of tubules is characterized by disorder in the stacking of cylindrical graphene sheets. Raman scattering measurements have been carried out in tubules and compared with graphite. The observed features in the Raman spectra in tubules can be understood in terms of the influence of disorder. The additional Raman modes predicted for single layer carbon tubules have not been observed.

Mn site is substituted with closed shell ions (Al, Ga, Ti, Zr and a certain combination of Zr and Al) and also with Fe and Ru ions carrying the magnetic moment (S=5/2 and 2 respectively) at a fixed concentration of 5 at %. Substitution did not change either the crystal symmetry or the oxygen stoichiometry. All substituents were found to suppress both the metal-insulator and ferromagnetic transition temperatures (T_p(ρ) and T_C, respectively) to varied extents. Two main contributions identified for the suppression are the lattice disorder arising due to difference in the ionic radii between the substituent (r_M) and the Mn³⁺ ion (r_Mn³⁺) and in the case of the substituents carrying a magnetic moment, the type of magnetic coupling between the substituent and that of the neighboring Mn ion.