Exchange interaction function for spin-lattice coupling in bcc iron

Abstract

Functional representations of the spin polarization and the exchange interaction in terms of the lattice configuration is necessary to model the dynamics of the coupled spin and lattice subsystems in large-scale atomistic simulation of magnetic materials. Data needed for this purpose have only existed in the regime of small displacements from the equilibrium perfect lattice configurations. In this paper, we report and discuss the results of our first-principles calculations for bcc iron over a wide range of lattice constants using the magnetic force theorem and the one-electron Green’s function. Despite the relatively complex functional form of the exchange interaction function for bcc iron our results show that it can be expressed as a superposition of Bethe-Slater-type curves representing interatomic exchange interaction of the 3d electrons.