Enhanced electrical resistivity before Néel order in the metals, RCuAs$_2$ (R= Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy
We report an unusual temperature (T) dependent electrical resistivity($ρ$) behavior in a class of ternary intermetallic compounds of the type RCuAs$_2$ (R= Rare-earths). For some rare-earths (Sm, Gd, Tb and Dy) with negligible 4f-hybridization, there is a pronounced minimum in $ρ$(T) far above respective Néel temperatures (T$_N$). However, for the rare-earths which are more prone to exhibit such a $ρ$(T) minimum due to 4f-covalent mixing and the Kondo effect, this minimum is depressed. These findings, difficult to explain within the hither-to-known concepts, present an interesting scenario in magnetism.
cond-mat.str-el↗