Unified First-Principles Study of Gilbert Damping, Spin-Flip Diffusion, and Resistivity in Transition Metal Alloys

Using a formulation of first-principles scattering theory that includes disorder and spin-orbit coupling on an equal footing, we calculate the resistivity ?, spin-flip diffusion length lsf, and Gilbert damping parameter ? for Ni1-xFex substitutional alloys as a function of x. For the technologically important Ni80Fe20 alloy, Permalloy, we calculate values of ?=3.5±0.15?????cm, lsf=5.5±0.3??nm, and ?=0.0046±0.0001 compared to experimental low-temperature values in the range 4.2–4.8?????cm for ?, 5.0–6.0 nm for lsf, and 0.004–0.013 for ?, indicating that the theoretical formalism captures the most important contributions to these parameters