Electron relaxation in disordered gold films

TL;DR

This study investigates how disorder affects electron relaxation in thin gold films, revealing increased electron-electron interactions and decreased spin-orbit scattering with more disorder, using magnetoconductivity analysis.

Contribution

It provides experimental insights into the temperature dependence of electron phase relaxation in disordered gold films and highlights the role of surface scattering in spin-orbit interactions.

Findings

Electron-electron interaction contribution increases with disorder.

Spin-orbit scattering rate decreases as disorder increases.

Electron-phonon scattering frequency diminishes with reduced mean free path.

Abstract

The analysis of quantum corrections to magnetoconductivity of thin Au films responsible for by the effect of weak electron localization has made it possible to determine the temperature dependences of electron phase relaxation time in the temperature range 0.5--50 K for different degrees of crystal lattice disorder. The disorder was enhanced by irradiating the films in vacuum with 3.5 keV Ar ions. The experimental data clearly demonstrate that the contribution of electron-electron interaction to electron phase relaxation increases with disorder and support the theoretical prediction that the frequency of electron-phonon scattering tends to diminish upon a decrease in electron mean free path. It is found that the spin-orbit scattering rate decreases with disorder. In our opinion, such unusual behavior can take place for thin films at decreasing the electron mean free path provided, that the surface electron scattering contributes significantly to the total spin-orbit scattering.