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Picture of the Month - December 2025

Finite Temperature Electronic Transport in Ferromagnets

The interpretation of spintronic experiments often relies on macroscopic parameters that characterize electronic transport in a system. However, quantitatively predicting these parameters at finite temperature — without prior experimental input — remains a significant challenge. In ferromagnetic materials, the scattering of electrons by magnetic disorder, i.e., electron–magnon scattering, adds an additional layer of complexity.

In our recent work, we investigated the electron–magnon scattering contribution to the electrical resistivity of bcc iron. To model thermally induced magnetic disorder, we employ semiclassical Monte Carlo simulations of a Heisenberg spin model. The figure shows a snapshot of the resulting magnetic disorder, which serves as the basis for our transport calculations. The three contour plots illustrate the momentum-resolved transmission function — related to the conductivity via the Landauer formula — and its temperature dependence, reflecting the increasing electrical resistivity due to magnetic disorder.

Preprint: Engelke, Heiliger, arXiv 2508.11405 (2025)

This picture was submitted by Fabian Engelke (group of Prof. Dr. Christian Heiliger).

Further insights into the research activities of the ZfM groups can be found in the Gallery.