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By means of the nonequilibrium Green function technique, the effect of spin-flip scatterings on the spin-dependent electrical transport in ferromagnet–insulator–ferromagnet (FM–I–FM) tunnel junctions is investigated. It is shown that Jullie`re's formula for the tunnel conductance must be modified when including the contribution from the spin-flip scatterings. It is found that the spin-flip scatterings could lead to an angular shift of the tunnel conductance, giving rise to the junction resistance not being the largest when the orientations of magnetizations in the two FM electrodes are antiparallel, which may offer an alternative explanation for such a phenomenon observed previously in experiments in some FM–I–FM junctions. The spin-flip assisted tunneling is also observed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Spin caloritronics brings us new spin-thermal related effects, such as spin Seebeck effect, spin Nernst effect and their inverse effects. It is time to revisit the thermoelectric effects in ferromagnets by considering them. In this paper, a generalized Fourier law is derived and an anomalous Righi–Leduc effect is proposed for a ferromagnet when a temperature gradient is applied. A full description including particle current, spin current and heat current is necessarily taken into account and gives rise to novel contributions to the Righi–Leduc coefficient. This may shed more light on the spin caloritronics in ferromagnets. Highlights • A generalized Fourier law is derived. • The particle, spin and heat currents are taken into account fully. • Anomalous Righi–Leduc effect is studied for ferromagnets. • Spin caloritronic effects induce extra new terms to the Righi–Leduc coefficient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]