Eur. Phys. J. B 59, 451-456 (2007)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2007-00305-2

Quantum simulations of spin-relaxation and transport in copper

¹ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
² London Centre for Nanotechnology, 17-19 Gordon Street, London, WC1H 0AH, UK
³ School of Physics and Astronomy, E.C. Stoner Laboratory, University of Leeds, Leeds., LS2 9JT, UK

Corresponding author: ^a k.mckenna@ucl.ac.uk

Received: 8 September 2007
Published online: 15 November 2007

Abstract

A quantum equation of motion method is applied to simulate conduction electron spin-relaxation and transport in the presence of the spin-orbit interaction and disorder. A spin-relaxation time of 25ps is calculated for Cu with a realistic low temperature resistivity of 3.2 μΩ cm – corresponding to a spin-diffusion length of about 0.4 μm. Spin-relaxation in a finite nanocrystallite of Cu is also simulated and a short spin-relaxation time (0.47 ps) is calculated for a crystallite with 7% surface atoms. The spin-relaxation calculated for bulk Cu is in good agreement with experimental evidence, and the dramatic nanocrystallite effect observed has important implications for nano-spintronic devices.