Effect of annealing on electron dephasing in threedimensional polycrystalline metals.pdfVIP

Effect of annealing on electron dephasing in three-dimensional polycrystalline metals J. J. Lin,1,∗ Y. L. Zhong,2 and T. J. Li3 1Institute of Physics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan 2Department of Physics, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan 1 3Department of Electrophysics, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan 0 0 2 several series of as-sputtered and subsequently annealed c AuPd and Sb thick films. The low-field magnetoresis- e We have studied the effect of thermal annealing on elec- tances of the as-sputtered samples are first measured. tron dephasing times τφ in three-dimensional polycrystalline D The samples are then annealed, and their magnetoresis- metals. Measurements are performed on as-sputtered and 1 annealed AuPd and Sb thick films, using weak-localization tances measured. The annealing and magnetoresistance 2 method. In all samples, we find that τφ possesses an ex- measurement procedures are repeated a few times. τφ tremely weak temperature dependence as T → 0. Our re- is extracted by comparing the measured magnetoresis- ] l sults show that the effect of annealing is non-universal, and tances with the three-dimensional (3D) weak-localization l a it depends strongly on the amount of disorder quenched in (WL) theoretical predictions [14]. Generally, thermal an- h the micr