Orbital moment of a single Co atom on a Pt(111) surface - a view from correlated band theory

The orbital magnetic moment of a Co adatom on a Pt( 111) surface is calculated in good agreement with experimental data making use of the LSDA + U method. It is shown that both electron correlation induced orbital polarization and structural relaxation play essential roles in orbital moment formation. The microscopic origins of the orbital moment enhancement are discussed.