Spin-Flip Diffusion Length In 5d Transition Metal Elements: A First-Principles Benchmark

Little is known about the spin-flip diffusion length l(sf), one of the most important material parameters in the field of spintronics. We use a density-functional-theory based scattering approach to determine values of l(sf )that result from electron-phonon scattering as a function of temperature for all 5d transition metal elements. l(sf) does not decrease monotonically with the atomic number Z but is found to be inversely proportional to the density of states at the Fermi level. By using the same local current methodology to calculate the spin Hall angle Theta(sH ) that characterizes the efficiency of the spin Hall effect, we show that the products rho(T) l(sf)(T) and Theta(sH)(T) l(sf)(T) are constant.