Quantum statistics and anharmonicity in the thermodynamics of spin waves in ferromagnetic metals

Abstract

The average energy needed to create a magnon is high in ferromagnetic metals due to the high-strength spin stiffness, which results in strong quantization effects that could be important even at thousands of degrees. To take into account quantum statistics at such high temperatures, the associated effects of anharmonicity of the spin vibrations must be taken into account. In addition to the complex nature of such effects, anharmonicity also affects the occupation of the density of state of the vibration states in the context of quantum statistics. Thus, an unoccupied vibration state might become occupied when its spring stiffness is substantially reduced with anharmonicity. Combined effects of quantum statistics and anharmonicity are expected. In this regard, the thermodynamics of ferromagnetic metals are investigated in this paper through the example of bcc iron between 10 and 1400 K. Theoretical analysis and spin-lattice dynamic simulations are performed, through which the physics behind the complex and dramatic temperature dependence of the thermodynamic functions of bcc iron is understood.