Phonon-Limited Resistivity of Some Simple Metals

Abstract

We have calculated the phonon-limited resistivity of a number of simple metals. Information about the lattice dynamics is taken from inelastic neutron scattering experiments. From a Born-von Kármán force-constant fit to the data, we compute the solid structure factor as a function of temperature using a one-phonon approximation. This should be adequate for the relatively low temperatures considered in this work. The resistivity is given simply as a quadrature of the structure factor times the square of the electron-ion pseudopotential form factor, which we take to be of the Heine-Abarenkov form. Good agreement is obtained with experiment for both absolute value and detailed variation with temperature.