The electrical conductivity of thin wires

Abstract

In the first part of this paper, simple approximate methods have been developed for evaluating the electrical conductivity of films and wires of a size comparable with the mean free path of the conduction electrons. In the second part, a rigorous theory has been given of the electrical conductivity of a thin wire, on the assumptions that the Fermi velocity surface is spherical and that the collisions of the electrons at the surface of the wire are inelastic. In the third part of the paper, this theory has been generalized to cover the case where the scattering is no longer inelastic. In the final part, Andrew’s recent experimental results for a thin mercury wire have been fitted to the theoretical curves obtained, and the mean free path evaluated.