INFLUENCE OF ELECTRON MEAN FREE-PATH ON SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION-TEMPERATURE

The correlation between residual resistivity and Tc is shown to be a consequence of the Pippard-Ziman condition on the electron-phonon interaction: phonons whose wavelengths exceed the electron mean free path are ineffective electron scatterers. Since this condition has previously been shown to explain many normal-state transport anomalies, it is seen to be the origin of a wide variety of electron-phonon interaction dependent effects. © 1979 The American Physical Society.