The spin wave excitations and the temperature dependence of the magnetization in iron,cobalt, nickel and their alloys

A critical review is given on the literature concerning spin waves in the ferromagnetic transition metals and their alloys. It is shown that spin waves can account for the low temperature behaviour of the magnetization in metallic glasses as well as in nickel(-alloys). A systematic correlation between Curie-temperature and spin wave stiffness is worked out, holding for crystalline and amorphous alloys of iron, cobalt and nickel. The reduced magnetization versus temperature curves of (amorphous) alloys are interpreted without referring to disorder effects.