Spin dependence in the neutralization of He+ ions in metals: An analysis of different contributions

We study the spin polarization of the Auger electrons produced during the neutralization of He+ ions in a free electron gas. In this process, one metal electron decays to the unoccupied state and a second electron is promoted to a continuum excited state. Although the spin of the decaying electron is fixed, both spins are allowed for the excited one. The states of the electrons involved in this Auger capture process are described by the spin-dependent Kohn-Sham orbitals obtained from density functional theory and the local spin approximation. The Auger capture rates indicate a strong polarization of the excited electron. In a paramagnetic free electron gas, there are two mechanisms accounting for this effect, the spin-dependent screening and the interference between indistinguishable processes when the involved electrons are in the same spin state. In a spin-polarized medium, the difference in the density of spin-up and spin-down electrons is a new ingredient to be considered. As a result, the excited electrons preferably come from the majority band, even in the case of He+ ions with spin opposite to that of the majority band embedded in a low spin-polarized free electron gas.