Correlation and confinement induced itinerant ferromagnetism in chain structures

Abstract

Using a positive semidefinite operator technique we deduce exact ground states for a zig-zag hexagon chain described by a non-integrable Hubbard model with on-site repulsion. Flat bands are not present in the bare band structure, and the operators , introducing the electrons into the ground state, are all extended operators and confined in the quasi-1D chain structure of the system. Consequently, by increasing the number of carriers, the operators become connected, i.e. touch each other on several lattice sites. Hence the spin projection of the carriers becomes correlated in order to minimize the ground-state energy by reducing as much as possible the double occupancy leading to a ferromagnetic ground state. This result demonstrates in exact terms in a many-body frame that the conjecture made at the two-particle level by G. Brocks et al., [Phys. Rev. 93 (2004) p.146405.] that the Coulomb interaction is expected to stabilize correlated magnetic ground states in acenes, is clearly viable, and opens up new directions in the search for routes in obtaining organic ferromagnetism. Due to the itinerant nature of the obtained ferromagnetic ground state, the systems under discussion may also have direct application possibilities in spintronics.

Keywords:

• ferromagnetism
• itinerant-electron magnetism
• conducting chain structures
• positive semidefinite operators
• exact ground states
• hexagon chains

Acknowledgements

Z.G. gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the Hungarian Research Fund through Contracts No. OTKA-T48782 and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

Notes

¹ These conditions represent only a restriction of the parameter space into a domain where the example of Appendix A is present.