Simultaneous observation of small- and large-energy-transfer electron-electron scattering in three-dimensional indium oxide thick films

Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology, Department of Physics, Tianjin University - Tianjin 300072, China

^(a) zhiqingli@tju.edu.cn (corresponding author)

Received: 6 December 2015
Accepted: 10 May 2016

Abstract

In three-dimensional (3D) disordered metals, the electron-phonon (e-ph) scattering is the sole significant inelastic process. Thus the theoretical prediction concerning the electron-electron scattering rate as a function of temperature T in 3D disordered metal has not been fully tested thus far, though it was proposed 40 years ago (Schmid A., Z. Phys., 271 (1974) 251). We report here the simultaneous observation of small- and large-energy-transfer scattering in 3D indium oxide thick films. In the temperature region , the temperature dependence of resistivity of each film obeys Bloch-Grüneisen law, indicating that the films possess degenerate-semiconductor characteristics in electrical transport property. In the low-temperature regime, as a function of T for each film can not be ascribed to e-ph scattering. To quantitatively describe the temperature behavior of , both the 3D small- and large-energy-transfer scattering processes should be considered. (The small- and large-energy-transfer scattering rates are proportional to and T², respectively.) In addition, the experimental prefactors of and T² are proportional to and (k_F is the Fermi wave number, ℓ is the electron elastic mean free path, and E_F is the Fermi energy), respectively, which are completely consistent with the theoretical predictions. Our experimental results fully demonstrate the validity of the theoretical predictions concerning both small- and large-energy-transfer scattering rates.