Low temperature specific heat and thermoelectric power of UCu3M2Al7 alloys

The specific heat and thermoelectric power of the UCu3M2Al7 alloys where M = Cr, Mn and Fe are presented. The specific heat has been measured in the temperature range 2.6-70 K in magnetic field H = 0 and 3 T using a homemade and full automatic calorimeter, whereas the thermoelectric power has been measured from 6 to 300 K employing a differential method with copper as reference material. The temperature dependence of the specific heat exhibits only a minute influence of magnetic field and no anomaly in the investigated temperature region. However, the coefficients of the electronic specific heat of all alloys are very close, being enhanced amount to about 200 mJ mol-1 K-2 at high temperature and to about 400 mJ mol-1 K-2 at low temperature. Strongly correlated electrons or crystallographic disorder are considered as a reason for these values. The thermoelectric power demonstrates moderate values within whole investigated temperature range