Signature of electron-magnon Umklapp scattering in L 1₀FePt probed by thermoelectric measurements

Abstract

We report unconventional thermoelectric power (Seebeck coefficient, S) in L10 structured FePt films. The temperature dependence of S can be well fitted by a phenomenological expression consisting of electron diffusion and magnon-drag contributions. Interestingly, the magnon drag coefficient carries an opposite sign to that of electron diffusion, revealing a dominant contribution from the elusive electron-magnon Umklapp scattering. Density-functional theory calculations identify several bands crossing the Brillouin zone boundaries, facilitating the Umklapp process. The large spin-orbit coupling in FePt results in strong mixing of majority and minority spins among some of those bands, greatly enhancing the electron-magnon scattering.