Non-perturbative theory of spin-polarized electron-capture spectroscopy in ferromagnetic nickel

Abstract

With the purpose of understanding the interaction of nuclear projectiles with ferromagnetic metallic surfaces, Schrödinger's equation is solved along the classical trajectory for head-on collisions of H + ions with a Ni atom on the femtosecond time scale. Many-body effects are treated exactly within single configurations. Probabilities of (21%) and (0.35%) for one-and two-electron capture and a spin polarization of (−82%) are found, in good agreement with experiment. The predominant capture of minority electrons, caused by angular-momentum conservation, is strongly enhanced by electron correlation. Electron capture probes magnetism as a phenomenon of correlated electrons on a significantly longer time scale than single-electron properties such as charge transfer.