Temperature-dependent magnetic behavior of the Fe (100) surface

We present a theoretical study of the magnetic properties at finite tempera ture of the ideal (1 0 0) surface of iron. The spin-polarized electronic st ructure at a given temperature is determined with a self-consistent d-band model Hamiltonian in which correlation effects are included in a temperatur e-dependent splitting parameter. The demagnetization process is analyzed an d compared with previous results and experimental trends, which will serve us as a test. The applicability of the model to the study of other complex systems like supported clusters or surfaces with defects is discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.