The low temperature electronic specific heats of disordered one dimensional chains

Abstract

The electronic specific heats of one dimensional interrupted chains are calculated. We find that there are two extreme limiting forms. One form, that of the specific heat measured on a very long timescale, gives rise to a specific heat proportional to T. The other form is that of the specific heat measured on a time scale short compared to the inter-segment hopping rate of the electrons. In this case, only intra-segment excitations contribute to the electronic specific heat and at low temperatures the smallest, finite, excitation energy dominates, leading to a Shottkey like result.