| This thesis describes the extension of the density functional ab initio pseudopotential method to include the relativistic effect of spin-orbit coupling and non-collinear spin-polarizations within a generalized local density approximation. In contrast to conventional implementations, that neglect spin-orbit coupling and non-collinearity, the wavefunctions no longer separate into spatial and spin components, and are treated as general spinors. The implementation is applied to non-magnetic and magnetic systems with an emphasis on their spin properties. For GaAs and ZnSe the effects of relativistic corrections are studied focusing on the spin splittings of electronic bands, which are of great importance for spin relaxation in zincblende semiconductors. In the magnetic compounds MnSe and MnAs the reduced symmetry of the fully relativistic problem leads to small non-collinear arrangements of the self-consistent spin moments. Finally, the influence of spin-orbit coupling on the conduction and valence band exchange constants in dilute magnetic semiconductors is investigated, using the fully relativistic pseudopotential method. The results support the use of the scalar-relativistic approximation in such calculations. |
