Dynamic thermal relaxation in metallic films at sub-kelvin temperatures

Abstract

The performance of low temperature detectors utilizing thermal effects is determined by their energy relaxation properties. Usually, heat transport experiments in mesoscopic structures are carried out in the steady-state, where temperature gradients do not change in time. Here, we present an experimental study of dynamic thermal relaxation in a mesoscopic system -- thin metallic film. We find that the thermal relaxation of hot electrons in copper and silver films is characterized by several time constants, and that the annealing of the films changes them. In most cases, two time constants are observed, and we can model the system by introducing an additional thermal reservoir coupled to the film electrons. We determine the specific heat of this reservoir and its coupling to the electrons. The experiments point at the importance of grain structure on the thermal relaxation of electrons in metallic films.