Electron scattering near an itinerant to localized electronic transition

Abstract

We report an unconventional temperature dependence of the resistivity in several strongly correlated systems approaching a localized to itinerant electronic transition from the itinerant electron side. The observed $\left(\rho -{\rho }_0\right)\propto T^{3/2}$ behavior over the entire range of materials discussed cannot be explained within the framework of existing theories. We propose a model in which the scattering of the conduction electrons by locally cooperative bond-length fluctuations in a matrix of vibronic and Fermi-liquid electrons can account for the experimental data.