Electron Transport and Point Contact Spectroscopy of Cubic DyCu$\text{}_{5}$

The electron transport properties and point contact spectra of melt-spun DyCu$\text{}_{5}$ with the cubic phase (structure type AuBe$\text{}_{5}$, space group $F\overline{4}3m$) were investigated. It was found by ac-susceptibility measurements that below a transition temperature T$\text{}_{m}$=6.5 K this phase shows metamagnetism. Between T$\text{}_{m}$ and T$\text{}_{C}$=14.5 K a spontaneous magnetization is found. Our measurements of electrical resistivity confirm the existence of two magnetic phase transitions in the compound. Furthermore, we present point contact spectra of DyCu$\text{}_{5}$-Cu heterocontacts which are directly proportional to the electron-quasiparticle interaction function. Apart from a peak at about 18 meV, which is characteristic of electron-phonon interaction in pure Cu, we observed a series of additional maxima at lower energy, which are connected with the allowed 4f-transitions from the ground state to excited crystalline electric field levels.