Theory of the spin dependence of the inelastic mean free path of electrons in ferromagnetic metals: A model study

We explore the spin dependence of the inelastic mean free path of an excited electron in a model ferromagnetic metal. The excited electron is assumed to reside in a plane-wave state, while the metal electrons are modeled within the framework of a one-band Hubbard model. We consider scattering by both Stoner excitations and by spin waves, and outline their relative importance in various energy ranges. In addition, we explore the dependence of the inelastic mean free path on the number of holes in the spin-polarized energy bands of the substrate.