The peculiar effect of electron correlation in multiband systems is illustrated for the recently proposed ferromagnetism in a Hubbard model having flat bands. Depsite the flatness of the band, an acoustic spin-wave mode with a finite stiffness exists along with optical modes below a Stoner gap. The relevant energy (gap and stiffness) transmutes from the Hubbard U in the weak-coupling limit to t (transfer integral) in the strong-coupling limit. This implies a stable itinerant ferromagnetism with finite band widths.

• Received 3 August 1993

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.72.144