Localization and superconductivity in thin films and narrow wires of aluminum

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5611210

Santhanam, P

The theory of localization predicts that constructive interference between electron waves scattered by impurities results in a quantum correction to the electrical resistance. The study of changes in resistance as a function of temperature and magnetic field can help verify the theory of localization. A comprehensive set of experiments were performed on thin films of aluminum for testing the localization theory. Experiments on wide thin films in the quasi-two-dimensional regime confirm the theoretical predictions. These experiments have also yielded considerable quantitative insight about inelastic mechanisms and spin-orbit scattering rates in these films. The inelastic mechanisms that cause delocalization of electrons in the films are electron-phonon scattering and electron-electron scattering. The inferred inelastic rates obtained are in good agreement with those obtained for films with comparable properties, from other types of experiments, done in the superconducting state. In the films, the spin-orbit scattering rate is observed to scale with the elastic scattering rate. The study of localization in quasi-one-dimensional systems requires metallic wires which are less than a micrometer in width. A method using x-ray lithography has proved successful in the fabrication of submicron-width samples.

• Research Organization: Yale Univ., New Haven, CT (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5611210
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360104 -- Metals & Alloys-- Physical Properties
656101* -- Solid State Physics-- Superconductivity-- General Theory-- (-1987)
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALUMINIUM
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
FABRICATION
FILMS
INELASTIC SCATTERING
METALS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SCATTERING
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY
THIN FILMS
WIRES