Magnetoresistance of Antiferromagnetic Metals Due to s-d Interaction

Abstract

A simple expression for the magnetoresistance of the antiferromagnetic metals due to the electron-spin scattering by the s - d interaction is obtained using the molecular field approximation for the spin system. The expression includes the ferromagnetic case. It is shown that in the antiferromagnetic case the positive magnetoresistance appears below the transition point, in contrast to the negative-magnetoresistance in the case of the para or ferromagnetic case. In the ferromagnetic case the negative magnetoresistance shows a deep and finite valley at the transition point, which is consistant with the experiments of the ferromagnetic rare-earth metals such as Gd and Tb.