Spin relaxation of conduction electrons in polyvalent metals: A realistic calculation
arXiv:cond-mat/9810375 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5624
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.
12 pages, 3 figures; to appear in PRL