Anisotropy in the compton profile of copper

Directional Compton profiles of high statistical accuracy are measured by means of a 412 keV gamma-ray Compton spectrometer. The experimental anisotropies are in very satisfactory agreement with earlier measurements and there is good qualitative agreement between the experimental data and a recent band structure calculation. Quantitatively, however, the experimental anisotropy is significantly smaller than predicted by theory.A simple model calculation based on the Seitz approximation, in which higher order Fermi surface volumes all of spherical shape are taken into account in obtaining the momentum density, demonstrates that the major contribution to the Compton profile anisotropy in copper is due to the hybridization which has mixedd-electrons and nearly-free electrons in the top band. Any fine structure in the theoretical anisotropy due to the detailed shape of the Fermi surface cannot be resolved in the present experiment.The potential of analysing the electronic structure of transition metals in terms ofB(r), the Fourier transform of the momentum density, is discussed in detail. The major contribution to the anisotropy arises from localised peaks inB(r) centered on the sites of the translational lattice. Within the Seitz approximation it could be shown that these secondary maxima are caused by the presence of localisedd-electrons in the highest partly occupied band. In conclusion we anticipate that a proper treatment of electron correlation would produce a marked quantitative improvement in the agreement between the present experimental data and the Compton profiles obtained from current band structure calculations.