A Note on the Orbital Diamagnetism of Nearly Free Electrons

Abstract

Diamagnetism of electrons in a weak periodic potential is calculated to the second order of the potential in order to examine the interband effect. When errors in previous calculations by Samoilovich and Rabinovich and by Glasser are corrected, it is found that the interband effect is indeed important. The intraband contribution as given by the Landau-Peierls formula is dominant only when the energy-wave number relation is quadratic. Once when it deviates from a quadratic form, the interband contribution is comparable to or even larger than the intraband term.