2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/229314We have studied the effect of thermal annealing on electron dephasing times $τ_ϕ$ in three-dimensional polycrystalline metals. Measurements are performed on as-sputtered and annealed AuPd and Sb thick films, using weak-localization method. In all samples, we find that $τ_ϕ$ possesses an extremely weak temperature dependence as $T \to 0$. Our results show that the effect of annealing is non-universal, and it depends strongly on the amount of disorder quenched in the microstructures during deposition. The observed "saturation" behavior of $τ_ϕ$ cannot be easily explained by magnetic scattering. We suggest that the issue of saturation can be better addressed in three-dimensional, rather than lower-dimensional, structures.Mesoscale and Nanoscale PhysicsEffect of annealing on electron dephasing in three-dimensional polycrystalline metalstext