The enhancement of Gilbert damping observed for Ni80Fe20 (Py) films in contact with the non-magnetic metals Cu, Pd, Ta and Pt, is quantitatively reproduced using first-principles scattering theory. The "spin-pumping" theory that qualitatively explains its dependence on the Py thickness is generalized to include a number of factors known to be important for spin transport through interfaces. Determining the parameters in this theory from first-principles shows that interface spin-flipping makes an essential contribution to the damping enhancement. Without it, a much shorter spin-flip diffusion length for Pt would be needed than the value we calculate independently.
@article{arxiv.1406.6225,
title = {Interface enhancement of Gilbert damping from first-principles},
author = {Yi Liu and Zhe Yuan and R. J. H. Wesselink and Anton A. Starikov and Paul J. Kelly},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1406.6225},
year = {2014}
}