First-principle approach to the study of spin relaxation times of excited electrons in metals

Abstract

We have developed a first-principle method of calculating the spin-lattice relaxation time of excited electrons in metals based on the GW approach incorporating spin-orbit coupling. We have studied the spin-lattice relaxation time and path in Al, Cu, Au, Nb and Ta. The spin-lattice relaxation time and path in Nb appear to be much less than in Al, Cu, Au. They are particularly small in Ta, in accord with strong spin-orbit coupling.

Comparing our results with experimental data on the impurity- and phonon-induced spin relaxation times and path's, we find that at the energy about of 0.9 eV, which is typical for excited electrons in spin-valve and magnetic-tunnel transistors, the inelastic scattering accompanied by creation of electron-hole pairs is the dominating mechanism of spin-lattice relaxation.