Abstract
The center of mass of a wave packet undergoes a discontinuous and finite sideways displacement on scattering by a central potential, in the presence of spin-orbit interaction. This is the main Hall-effect mechanism (ρHρ2) for Fe, Ni, and their alloys above 100 K, while asymmetric scattering dominates below 100 K. Displacement Δy per actual collision is calculated by partial waves. In the case of Born expansion, the leading term of Δy or ρHρ2 is of zero order in the scattering potential. The magnitude is predicted correctly (Δy10101011 m) when using the effective spin-orbit Hamiltonian derived by Fivaz from spin-orbit interband mixing. The calculation of ρH is extended to arbitrary ωcτ for compensated and un-compensated metals. Other nonclassical physical mechanisms proposed by Karplus and Luttinger and by Doniach and by Fivaz are spurious for the dc Hall effect.