Spin Density Waves in an Electron Gas
Abstract
It is shown rigorously that the paramagnetic state of an electron gas is never the Hartree-Fock ground state, even in the high-density-or weak-interaction-limit. The paramagnetic state is always unstable with respect to formation of a static spin density wave. The instability occurs for spin-density waves having a wave vector Q~2kF, the diameter of the Fermi sphere. It follows that the (Hartree-Fock) spin susceptibility of the paramagnetic state is not a monotonic decreasing function with increasing Q, but rather a function with a singularity near Q=2kF. Rather convincing experimental evidence that the antiferromagnetic ground state of chromium is a large-amplitude spin density wave state is summarized. A number of consequences of such states are discussed, including the problem of detecting them by neutron diffraction.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review
- Pub Date:
- November 1962
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRev.128.1437
- Bibcode:
- 1962PhRv..128.1437O