ON DETERMINATION OF ELECTRON RELAXATION TIMES AND SPECULARITY OF SURFACE SCATTERING FROM SURFACE STATE RESONANCES

On hand of a minimal theory" we derive a description of electrons in skipping trajectories as a system of quantum-mechanical bound states. Impedance oscillations observed in Cu are discussed in terms of transitions between such surface quantum states. We focus attention on the determination of electron relaxation times and specularity of surface scattering from the theoretical analysis of impedance oscillation spectra. The temperature dependence of amplitude and linewidths observed in Ga illustrate the effect of relaxation time on the resonances. Electron reflection from roughened surfaces in Sn is shown to be increasingly non specular with increasing angle of incidence to the surface. © 1969 Springer-Verlag."