Boltzmann theory of magnetoresistance due to a spin spiral

TL;DR

This paper develops a Boltzmann equation-based model to predict large magnetoresistance effects in thin spin spirals with high spin polarization, providing insights into their electronic transport properties.

Contribution

It introduces a non-perturbative approach to calculate conduction electron scattering and resistivity in spin spirals, advancing understanding of magnetoresistance mechanisms.

Findings

Predicts magnetoresistance ratio >50% for high polarization and small period spin spirals

Provides a numerical method for calculating resistivity in thin spin structures

Highlights the importance of non-perturbative wave functions in transport calculations

Abstract

We studied the magnetoresistance due to a spin spiral by solving the Boltzmann equation. The scattering rates of conduction electrons are calculated by using the non-perturbative wave function of the conduction electrons and the non-equilibrium distribution function is obtained by numerically solving the Boltzmann equation. These enable us to calculate the resistivity of a sufficiently thin spin spiral. A magnetoresistance ratio of more than 50% is predicted for a spin spiral with high spin polarization (>0.8) and a small period (about 1-2 nm).