Empirical electron-phononλvalues from resistivity of cubic metallic elements

Abstract

Band-theory values of $N({E}_{F})$ and ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{p}$ (density of states and Drude-plasma frequency) are used to extract dimensionless electron-phonon parameters ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{tr}}$ from the measured resistivity $\ensuremath{\rho}$ and ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ from the measured low-$T$ electronic specific heat $\ensuremath{\gamma}T$ for 25 cubic elements. In cases where independent reliable estimates of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ are available from the superconducting transition temperature ${T}_{c}$, ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{tr}}$ is consistent, and ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\ensuremath{\gamma}}$, although more uncertain, seems meaningful. Empirical estimates of $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ for the nonsuperconducting metals Ca, Ba, Fe, Ni, and Rh are suggested.