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Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in polyvalent metals: A realistic calculation

J. Fabian·S. Das Sarma
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Abstract

Relaxation of electronic spins in metals is significantly enhanced whenever a Fermi surface crosses Brillouin zone boundaries, special symmetry points, or lines of accidental degeneracy. A realistic calculation shows that if aluminum had one valence electron, its spin relaxation would be slower by nearly two orders of magnitude. This not only solves a longstanding experimental puzzle, but also provides a way of tailoring spin dynamics of electrons in a conduction band.

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J. Fabian, S. Das Sarma. 1998-10-27. Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in polyvalent metals: A realistic calculation. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.81.5624

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