Weak localization in short wires: Influence of boundary conditions

The existing theory of the weak-localization correction to resistance in the case of short metallic wires is discussed to obtain some new physical insights. A new theoretical formula for the commonly used four-terminal geometry is derived using the formalism proposed by Doucot and Rammal. It is shown that fits to experimental data can yield substantially different values for the electron-phase relaxation length depending on the boundary conditions imposed in the theory.