CONDITION FOR THE EXISTENCE OF A PERMANENT MAGNETIC-MOMENT NEAR TRANSITION-METAL SURFACES

A condition for the existence of a magnetic instability localized near the surface of bulk paramagnetic transition metals is found in a one-electron band theory. Among the bcc transition metals of the first series, it is shown that this condition may be fulfilled near (100) vanadium surfaces. The same band model is applied to bulk magnetic transition metals. It describes the behavior of the magnetic moment near the surface of a crystal. Application is made to chromium and iron. Some recent experimental results on vanadium hyperfine particles and chromium surfaces are discussed. © 1979 The American Physical Society.