Ferromagnetic elements by epitaxial growth: A density functional prediction

The periodic table contains only six natural elements with a ferromagnetic ground state. For example, the metal uranium, which is magnetically ordered in many compounds, is paramagnetic in all its known elemental bulk phases. Also, the iron-group elements ruthenium and osmium are known to be bulk paramagnets. We predict by means of density functional calculations that epitaxial growth of uranium, ruthenium, or osmium on suitable substrates may allow stabilization of bulklike films with tetragonal structures showing ferromagnetic order.