Transport properties of metallic LiV2O4 single crystals - heavy mass Fermiliquid behavior

Single crystals of the spinel oxide, LiV2O4, were grown hydrothermally and the transport, magnetic and thermal properties of these crystals were studi ed extensively. We observed an electronic specific heat coefficient gamma a s large as 0.35 J/mol K-2, which confirms the previous work on polycrystall ine samples, and a T-2 behavior of the resistivity below 2 K. The coefficie nt of the T-2 term, A, and gamma were found to satisfy the Kadowaki-Woods r elation for strongly correlated Fermi liquids. These results are consistent with the formation of a Fermi liquid with extraordinarily heavy quasiparti cles. We speculate that electron correlation's, which place the system clos e to a Mott transition, and the strong magnetic frustration inherent to the cubic spinel structure play a substantial role in realizing the extremely heavy-mass Fermi liquid in LiV2O4. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S .A. All rights reserved.