Non-collinear magnetism in itinerant electron systems: Fe, Co, and Ni

Abstract

Non-collinear magnetism in bcc and fee Fe, fee Co, and fee Ni is explored by using the spin-polarized tight-binding recursion method. Magnetic ground states are reproduced correctly: fee Fe is antiferromagnetic while the others (bcc Fe, fee Co, and fee Ni) are ferromagnetic. In bcc Fe, the spiral-spin state is shown to be more stable than the canted-spin state. In fee Fe, the spiral-spin state is very close in energy to the antiferromagnetic state so as to be stable for large wave-vector q(theta). We find that the finite-temperature magnetism of bcc Fe, which can be described by the local-moment picture, is different from those of fee Fe, Co, and Ni.