Abstract. Based on positive semidefinite operator properties, an exact ground state solution is deduced for a 2D Hubbard model with periodic boundary conditions on small samples. The obtained ferromagnetic behavior is used as a possible explanation of the ferromagnetism occurring in nano-samples made of non-magnetic but metallic materials.
IntroductionIt is known that if a sample is constructed from non-magnetic metal (for example Au), and the size of the object is decreased to nanoscale values, the material can become ferromagnetic [1,2]. Below we provide a possible explanation for this effect, which requires only Coulomb repulsion between itinerant carriers, closed surface and quantum mechanical effects. For this reason we analyze a two dimensional L L × square lattice at arbitrary but finite L size with periodic boundary conditions in both directions, containing itinerant electrons. The Coulomb repulsion in this many-body system is screened by the itinerant system, consequently is of short-range type, and hence is taken into account for simplicity by the on-site Coulomb repulsion alone. Below this Hubbard system is solved exactly for the ground state in a restricted region of the parameter space, obtaining a ferromagnetic solution for small L values.The solution procedure (see [3][4][5][6][7] for details) is based on positive semidefinite operator properties. The technique first transforms in exact terms the Hamiltonian Ĥ of the system in a positive semidefinite form ˆĤ P C = + where P is a positive semidefinite operator while C is