The resistivity of fine platinum wires

We have measured the resistivity of pure platinum wires ranging in diameter from 16 mil to 0.3 mil in the temperature range 1.2 to 4.2°K, and observed size-dependent deviations from Matthiessen’s rule. The temperature dependent portion of the resistivity is dominated in this temperature range by a term of the formAT ², whereA increases from about 12×10^?12 Ω cm/°K² for the thickest wires to 18×10^?12 Ω cm/°K² for the thinnest ones. There is an additional resistivity contribution which appears to increase more rapidly thanT ⁵, and which also evidences some increase with decreasing wire diameter. The observed deviations from Matthiessen’s rule display temperature and size variations consistent with the theory ofBlatt andSatz, and the magnitude of the deviations can be accounted for by this theory taking into account only that portion of the electrical resistivity produced by electron-phonon scattering. Thus the data are consistent with arguments suggesting that interband electron-electron scattering does not lead to size-dependent deviations from Matthiessen’s rule.