Theoretical studies on electronic states of Rh-C60. Possibility of a room-temperature organic ferromagnet

Abstract

A possible mechanism for a ferromagnetic interaction in the rhombic (Rh) form of C60 (Rh-C60) is suggested on the basis of theoretical studies in relation to cage distortion of the C60 unit in the polymerized 2D-plane. Band structure calculations on Rh-C60 show that cage distortion leads to competition between diamagnetic and ferromagnetic states, which give rise to the possibility of thermally populating the ferromagnetic state.