@article { ISI:000325499400002,
	title = {Spin-flip hot spots in ultrathin films of monovalent metals: Enhancement and anisotropy of the Elliott-Yafet parameter},
	journal = {PHYSICAL REVIEW B},
	volume = {88},
	number = {14},
	year = {2013},
	month = {OCT 10},
	pages = {144408},
	abstract = {In contrast to the long-known fact that spin-flip hot spots, i.e., special k points on the Fermi surface showing a high spin-mixing parameter, do not occur in the bulk of monovalent (noble and alkali) metals, we found them on the surface Brillouin-zone boundary of ultrathin films of these metals. Density-functional calculations within the Korringa-Kohn-Rostoker Green function method for ultrathin (001) oriented Cu, Ag, and Au films of 10-layer thickness show that the region around the hot spots can have a substantial contribution, e. g., 52\% in Au(001), to the integrated spin-mixing parameter, that could lead to a significant enhancement of the spin-relaxation rate or spin-Hall angle in thin films. Owing to the appearance of spin-flip hot spots, a large anisotropy of the Elliott-Yafet parameter {[}50\% for Au(001)] is also found in these systems. The findings are important for spintronics applications in which noble metals are frequently used and in which the dimensionality of the sample is reduced.},
	issn = {1098-0121},
	doi = {10.1103/PhysRevB.88.144408},
	author = {Long, Nguyen H. and Mavropoulos, Phivos and Heers, Swantje and Zimmermann, Bernd and Mokrousov, Yuriy and Bl{\"u}gel, Stefan}
}
