Role of defects, resonances, anharmonicities and electron–phonon scattering processes on thermal conductivity of YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract

In this work, thermal conductivity of high temperature superconductors (HTS) has been analyzed on the basis of modified Callaway model. In the new formulation, the relaxation times of various contributing processes have been observed in newer perspectives of electron and phonon line widths. To obtain line widths, the quantum dynamics of electron and phonon is carried out by using double time thermodynamic Green’s functions method via a general Hamiltonian. The outcome of this heuristic approach is utilized to successfully explain the spectacular behavior of thermal conductivity of HTS, and particularly in the vicinity of transition temperature.