ON THE THEORY OF QUANTUM INTERFERENCE BETWEEN INELASTIC AND ELASTIC ELECTRON-SCATTERING EVENTS

The mechanism of weak localization of relatively fast electrons scatte red with a fixed energy loss from disordered media is examined. The ma in focus of this paper is to put forward an explanation why coherent e nhancement of electron scattering in the inelastic-scattering channel takes place at angles which differ from pi. A simplified kinematic mod el is proposed to determine the basic properties of the weak localizat ion of electrons in the inelastic scattering channel. The model reprod uces easily the range of scattering angles typical of the weak localiz ation of electrons with a fixed energy loss. The procedure does not re quire calculation of the contribution from the crossed diagrams. The r esults agree with those based on the dynamical theory associated with the calculation of the crossed and ladder diagrams, It is possible to follow the transition from the new type of weak localization to the or dinary weak localization with decreasing energy loss. The new-type wea k localization is in agreement with the regular weak localization if t he energy loss is approximately equal to the energy of an optical phon on. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.