Spin-wave-induced correction to the conductivity of ferromagnets

Abstract

We calculate the correction to the conductivity of a disordered ferromagnetic metal due to spin-wave-mediated electron-electron interactions. This correction is the generalization of the Altshuler-Aronov correction to spin- wave-mediated interactions. We derive a general expression for the conductivity correction to lowest order in the spin-wave-mediated interaction and for the limit that the exchange splitting Δ is much smaller than the Fermi energy. For a “clean” ferromagnet with Δτel/ℏ≫1, with τel being the mean time for impurity scattering, we find a correction δσ∝−T5/2 at temperatures T above the spin-wave gap. In the opposite, “dirty” limit, Δτel/ℏ≪1, the correction is a nonmonotonous function of temperature.