SINGLET SEMICONDUCTOR TO FERROMAGNETIC METAL TRANSITION IN FESI

Adding the local Coulomb repulsion to the local density approximation, the so-called LDA + U scheme, leads us to predict a first order trans ition from a singlet semiconductor to ferromagnetic metal in FeSi with increasing magnetic field. Extensions to finite temperature lead to t he interpretation that the anomalous behavior at room temperature and zero field arises from proximity to the critical point of this transit ion. This critical point at a finite field may be accessible in curren tly available magnetic fields.