Weak localization in ferromagnets with spin-orbit interaction

Abstract

Weak localization corrections to conductivity of ferromagnetic systems are studied theoretically in the case when spin-orbit interaction plays a significant role. Two cases are analyzed in detail: (i) the case when the spin-orbit interaction is due to scattering from impurities, and (ii) the case when the spin-orbit interaction results from reduced dimensionality of the system and is of the Bychkov-Rashba type. Results of the analysis show that the localization corrections to conductivity of ferromagnetic metals lead to a negative magnetoresistance -- also in the presence of the spin-orbit scattering. Positive magnetoresistance due to weak antilocalization, typical of nonmagnetic systems, does not occur in ferromagnetic systems. In the case of two-dimensional ferromagnets, the quantum corrections depend on the magnetization orientation with respect to the plane of the system.