Spin dynamics in magnets: Quantum effects and numerical simulations

We briefly review the key ideas and important physical approximations which are used to derive quantum dynamical equations of motion for the spin degrees of freedom in magnetic materials. This approach to spin dynamics uses first principles methods to obtain time and temperature dependent magnetic properties. A new stochastic approach to simulate time and temperature effects in extended spin systems is presented. Future applications and extensions are briefly covered. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.