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Ferromagnetism of delocalized (itinerant) fermions occurs due to repulsive interactions and the exchange energy which reduces the interaction energy for spin polarized domains due to the Pauli exclusion principle.  At a critical interaction, given by the so-called Stoner criterion [1], they system spontaneously develops domains and becomes ferromagnetic.  This, together with a suitable band structure in a periodic lattice, explains why certain metals, like iron and nickel, are ferromagnetic.  The simplest models for ferromagnetism assume a gas of fermions with repulsive interactions, and predict, in mean-field approximation, the onset of ferromagnetism.  However, there has been no proof or experimental observation for ferromagnetism in a Fermi gas.

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