A spin density wave (SDW) is a type of magnetic ordering that occurs in certain materials, particularly in low-dimensional systems and in some transition metal oxides. It is characterized by the periodic modulation of the electron spin density in a material, leading to a spatial variation in the magnetization. In a spin density wave, the spin alignment varies in space, often with a wave-like pattern.
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A spatially modulated spin density, distinct from a charge density wave. Opposite modulations of spin-up and spin-down occupations can give a periodically varying magnetization while their total charge density stays uniform.