Thermophysical properties of layered rare earth copper oxides

The series of layered rare earth copper oxides with RE2CuO4 type formula, where RE is neodymium, samarium, or gadolinium, has been prepared and various thermophysical properties, such as elastic moduli, Debye temperature, and thermal conductivity, have been evaluated. The relationships between several properties of RE2CuO4 have also been studied. It was found that R-2,CuO4 have relatively high thermal conductivity at around room temperature, which decreases with increasing temperature. Gd2CuO4, has the highest thermal conductivity compared with those of Nd2CuO4 and Sm2CuO4 in the whole temperature range, and the value at 330 K of Gd2CuO4 is 30.0 W m(-1) K-1. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.