ELECTRON PHASE RELAXATION PROCESSES IN DI SORDERED GOLD-FILMS IRRADIATED WITH ARGON IONS

Temperature dependences of electron phase relaxation time tau(phi) at different degrees of disorder in the temperature range 0.5-50 K are fo und from the analysis of the quantum corrections to magnetoconductivit y of thin Au films, which are related to the effect of weak electron l ocalization. To enhance the crystal lattice disorder the films were ir radiated with Ar lolls in vacuum. It is found that the rates of inelas tic electron relaxation induced by the electron-phonon interaction con be described by a tau(cp)(-1) = A(p)(l)T-p type dependence, where the index p similar or equal to 2 for low-resistance flints slid somewhat increases with strong disorder. In the later case the dependence of A (p) on electron mean-free path l arises, which indicates that the elec tron-phonon interaction rate decreases. Such a behaviour of tau(cp) af ter disordering can be explained by a crossover from the <<pure>> to < <dirty>> limit, where l becomes comparable in order of magnitude with the thermal phonon wavelength. The reduced values of index p (compared to the theoretical prediction) is likely to be due to the two-dimensi onality of the electron-phonon interaction in the thin films.