Low-temperature features of electron scattering in cadmium

Abstract

The scattering rates nu (T) of various groups of electrons in cadmium have been measured down to 0.25 K using the radio-frequency size effect. For electrons on the third band lens of the fermi Surface nu (T) can be analyzed below about 2.5 K as the superposition of two terms, alpha T2 and beta T3. While the latter is associated with electron-phonon scattering the former component can be attributed to electron-electron scattering. On two triangular orbits in the first and second bands an apparently large T2 term is observed between 5 and 1.5 K. At lower temperatures nu (T) drops rapidly suggesting that this behaviour is due to electron-phonon scattering. An explanation for large T2 terms has been proposed by Lawrence et al. (1986) on the basis of Umklapp electron-phonon scattering together with the particular shape of the Fermi surface of cadmium. Simple calculations on these lines are shown to reproduce semi-quantitatively the observed variation of nu (T) and to aid in the interpretation of another second band orbit.