Electron–phonon interaction in a thin Al–Mn film

Aluminum doped with manganese is an interesting novel material with applications in normal metal–insulator–superconductor (NIS) tunnel junction devices and transition-edge sensors at sub-Kelvin temperatures. We have studied the electron–phonon (e–p) coupling in a thin aluminum film doped with 1% manganese, with a measuring technique based on DC hot-electron effect. The electron temperature was measured with the help of symmetric normal metal–insulator–superconductor tunnel-junction pairs (SINIS-thermometers). Measurements show that the temperature dependence of the e–p interaction is not consistent with existing theories for disordered metals, but follows a higher power law.