Localization effects in thin potassium wires

Abstract

A minimum in the electrical resistivity as a function of temperature was recently observed in pure thin potassium wires near 1 K. We interpret this effect in terms of inelastic-scattering events interrupting the coherence of one-dimensional localized electrons. Assuming that a minimum energy transfer is required for a collision to be effective, we find that either electron-electron scattering or electron-phason scattering could be the appropriate inelastic mechanism.