Magnetic Susceptibility of a Diamagnetic Electron Gas—The Role of Small Effective Electron Mass

Abstract

An exact formula for the "steady" bulk susceptibility of a degenerate electron gas is derived. The deviations from the Landau-Peierls formula are studied for several situations in which the effective electron mass is small. It is concluded that, in any case for which the Landau-Peierls susceptibility differs from the Landau susceptibility, the total susceptibility differs from the Landau-Peierls susceptibility by an amount of the same order of magnitude.The magnetic susceptibility of solid Bi is discussed on a model developed by H. Jones. It is found that for several reasons, Jones' model requires major modification. A particular modification is suggested as a possible basis for a theory of the Bi susceptibility.Some implications of our conclusions are discussed in connection with Bardeen's theory of superconductivity and the theory of the de Haas-van Alphen effect.