Microwave-enhanced decoherance in one-dimensional metal wires

We report the effect of monochromatic microwave (MW) radiation on the weak localization corrections to the conductivity of quasi-one-dimensional silver wires. Due to the improved electron cooling in the wires, the MW-induced dephasing was observed without a concomitant overheating of electrons over wide ranges of the MW power $P_{MW}$ and frequency $f$. The observed dependences of the conductivity and MW-induced dephasing rate on $P_{MW}$ and $f$ are in agreement with the theory by Altshuler, Aronov, and Khmelnitsky.\footnote[1]{B.L. Altshuler, A.G. Aronov, and D.E. Khmelnitsky, Sol. State Communi. \textbf{39}, 619 (1981).} Our results suggest that the saturation of dephasing time, often observed at $T \leq$ 0.1 K, may be caused by an insufficient screening of the sample from the external microwave noise.