Spin-Flip Diffusion Length in 5d Transition Metal Elements: A First-Principles Benchmark
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: Little is known about the spin-flip diffusion length ${l}_{\mathrm{sf}}$, one of the most important material parameters in the field of spintronics. We use a density-functional-theory based scattering approach to determine values of ${l}_{\mathrm{sf}}$ that result from electron-phonon scattering as a function of temperature for all $5d$ transition metal elements. ${l}_{\mathrm{sf}}$ does not decrease monotonically with the atomic number $Z$ but is found to be inversely proportional to the density of states at the Fermi level. By using the same local current methodology to calculate the spin Hall angle ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathrm{sH}}$ that characterizes the efficiency of the spin Hall effect, we show that the products $\ensuremath{\rho}(T){l}_{\mathrm{sf}}(T)$ and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Theta}}}_{\mathrm{sH}}(T){l}_{\mathrm{sf}}(T)$ are constant.
Source: Physical Review Letters
Institutions: University of Twente, Beijing Normal University
Language: Latvian
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Brown University, Stichting voor Fundamenteel Onderzoek der Materie, Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, Recruitment Program for Young Professionals, Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities
OpenAlex ID: W3162530682