Conduction Electron Spin Resonance in Small Particles of Gold

Abstract

Electron spin resonance has been observed in small particles of gold with a mean dia- meter of 30 A. The resonance is attributed to conduction electrons in particles where the electron-phonon interaction is severely inhibited. The mean g-value is 2.26 ± 0.02 and the mean line width 200 G. A variation of line width with temperature has been observed and is explained tentatively in terms of the discreteness of the electron energy levels.