On the effects of spin-orbit coupling on impurity atoms in cubic ferromagnetic alloys

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Abstract
Recent studies on heavy transition metal impurities embedded in cubic ferromagnetic hosts have suggested the existence of a certain amount of unquenched orbital angular momentum on the impurity site. The effects of spin-orbit coupling on the electron states around heavy impurities in band ferromagnets are examined using an extension of the Wolff-Clogston (1962) approach. Model calculations are performed for cases determined by the relative sizes of the impurity spin-orbit coupling parameter lambda , the crystal field splitting, and the exchange splitting of the impurity spin states which gives rise to the local moment. The results are compared with hyperfine anomaly and Mossbauer data on Au and Ir impurities in ferromagnetic Fe, Co and Ni.