Anisotropy of the electron-phonon scattering rate in metals

Abstract

A method of measuring the temperature dependent part of the electron scattering ratev(T) for separate groups of electrons has been developed on the basis of the radio-frequency size effect. The temperature dependence of the amplitude of a radio-frequency size effect line yields information on the probability of electron scattering averaged over the vicinity of the corresponding extremal cross section of the Fermi surface (FS).

This method was applied to two problems:

• 1. the determination of the electron-phonon scattering rate on the FS point-by-point in noble metals; and

• 2. the extraction of the contribution of electron-phonon scattering collisions with electron transfering from one sheet of the FS to another to the total electron-phonon scattering rate.