Exchange energy dominated by large orbital spin-currents in $\delta$-Pu

TL;DR

This paper reveals that in δ-Pu, the exchange energy is primarily due to large orbital spin-currents that maintain time reversal symmetry, explaining its non-magnetic nature and aligning with experimental observations.

Contribution

It introduces a general reformulation of the exchange energy in the $f$-shell, highlighting the dominance of orbital spin-currents in δ-Pu's electronic structure.

Findings

Orbital spin-currents dominate exchange energy in δ-Pu.

The non-magnetic state preserves time reversal symmetry.

Results agree with recent actinide transition measurements.

Abstract

The electronic structure of the anomalous $\delta$-phase of Pu is analyzed by a general and exact reformulation of the exchange energy of the $f$-shell. It is found that the dominating contribution to the exchange energy is a polarization of orbital spin-currents that preserves the time reversal symmetry, hence a non-magnetic solution in accordance with experiments. The analysis brings a unifying picture of the role of exchange in the $5f$-shell with its relatively strong spin-orbit coupling. The results are in good accordance with recent measurements of the branching ratio for the $d$ to $f$ transition in the actinides.