spin-flip scattering

physics

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July 14, 2026

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Spin-flip scattering is a phenomenon in physics where conduction electrons scatter from magnetic impurities in a metal, causing their spins to flip. This interaction is a key component of the Kondo effect, which describes how magnetic impurities affect a metal's electrical resistivity.1

At low temperatures, this spin-flip scattering becomes significant and can even increase as the temperature decreases, leading to a rise in electrical resistivity. This effect is characterized by a specific temperature, known as the Kondo temperature, which varies depending on the impurity and the metallic host. Spin is an intrinsic property of subatomic particles, classified as either fermions or bosons, and plays a crucial role in particle physics.12

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The Kondo effect
The spin-flip scattering is strong at low temperatures and actually increases slightly as temperature decreases. This phenomenon is called the Kondo effect after the Japanese theoretical physicist Jun Kondo, who first explained the increase in resistivity resulting from magnetic impurities. There is a characteristic temperature, called…
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The spin-flip scattering is strong at low temperatures and actually increases slightly as temperature decreases. This phenomenon is called the Kondo effect after the Japanese theoretical physicist Jun Kondo, who first explained the increase in resistivity resulting from magnetic impurities. There is a characteristic temperature, called…
Read More