A model for the temperature dependence of the electronic mean free path in the radiofrequency size effect

A model is proposed which takes into account the effect of the finite skin depth in a determination of the phonon-limited electronic mean free path (EMFP) by means of the radiofrequency-size-effect amplitude. The model results in a temperature dependence of the inverse EMFP which obeys neither aTⁿ nor anaT³+bT⁵ law, in general. Numerical examples show the pureT³ behavior usually expected is reasonable for small Fermi radii of curvature, but that more complicated behavior can be expected for Fermi surfaces having nearly free electron curvature. Existing data from the lens of Cd, obeying an apparentT⁵ law, are discussed in terms of the present model.