Spin polarization of electrons in quantum wires

TL;DR

This paper investigates how electrons in quantum wires can spontaneously become spin-polarized at low densities, using density functional theory to identify the critical density for ferromagnetism.

Contribution

It provides an analytical estimate of the critical electron density for spontaneous spin polarization in quantum wires, advancing understanding of magnetic states in low-dimensional systems.

Findings

Spontaneous ferromagnetic state occurs at low electron densities

Critical density for spin polarization is analytically estimated

Density functional theory effectively models electron energy in quantum wires

Abstract

The total energy of a quasi-one-dimensional electron system is calculated using density functional theory. It is shown that spontaneous ferromagnetic state in quantum wire occurs at low one-dimensional electron density. The critical electron density below which electrons are in spin-polarized state is estimated analytically.