No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

The intraband optical conductivity of all the noble metals has been measured at the temperatures 77, 295, and 425 K. In all cases the Drude scattering rate s ' = a{T)+P{Aco)' for fico less than about 2 eV. The temperaturedependent intercept u {T)may be attributed to electron-phonon scattering. The quadratic dependence on co, with P found to be temperature independent, is suggestive of electron-electron scattering. However, the observed values of P exceed current theoretical estimates by a factor of 2 or 3. Moreover, P should be related to the dc electrical and thermal resistivities {in the limited temperature regimes in which electron-electron scattering contributes appreciably). If this comparison is made, the discrepancy worsens to an order of magnitude. We briefly discuss other mechanisms which might account for the large observed values ofP, but none looks sufficient. We conclude that the frequency dependence in the Drude scattering rates of the noble metals, while qualitatively suggestive of electronelectron scattering, is quantitatively not understood.

No abstract