Inertial spin alignment in a circular magnetic nanotube

In cobalt nanotubes with a curling magnetization, the orbital motion of the conduction electrons interacts with their spin. As the spin goes around the nanotube it cannot follow the magnetization, since with the Fermi velocity it moves too fast. Instead, we predict that the spin precesses about an axis that is almost parallel to the axis of the nanotube and that rotates with the angular velocity of the electron. Therefore, the (absolute) value of the magnetic energy of the spin |μ⋅B| is strongly reduced. The physics of the ferromagnet is considerably modified.