Spatial Ordering of Conduction Electrons in Metals from Liquid Phase Diffraction

Abstract

Egelstaff, March and McGill proposed the idea that electron-electron correlation functions for conduction electrons in liquid metals could be extracted from experiment by combining X-ray, neutron and electron diffraction studies. Though electron diffraction studies are still only in early stages of development, evidence has nevertheless gathered that conduction electrons have a significant degree of ordering near the melting point of liquid metals. In the latter part of the review, this conclusion is brought into contact with current ideas on strongly correlated electronic ground states in crystalline metals. In both areas, resonating bonds proposed by Pauling seem an essential ingredient in understanding the electronic behavior.

Key Words:

• Conduction electrons
• spatial ordering
• electron diffraction
• resonating bonds.