Weak localization in ferromagnets with spin-orbit interaction - art. no. 144423

Weak localization corrections to conductivity of ferromagnetic systems are studied theoretically in the case when spin-orbit interaction plays a signi ficant role. Two cases are analyzed in detail: (i) the case when the spin-o rbit interaction is due to scattering from impurities and (ii) the case whe n the spin-orbit interaction results from reduced dimensionality of the sys tem and is of the Bychkov-Rashba type. Results of the analysis show that th e localization corrections to conductivity of ferromagnetic metals lead to a negative magnetoresistance-also in the presence of the spin-orbit scatter ing. Positive magnetoresistance due to weak antilocalization, typical of no nmagnetic systems, does not occur in ferromagnetic systems. In the case of two-dimensional ferromagnets, the quantum corrections depend on the magneti zation orientation with respect to the plane of the system.