Metallic Ferromagnetism - an Electronic Correlation Phenomenon

Abstract

New insights into the microscopic origin of itinerant ferromagnetism were recently gained from investigations of electronic lattice models within dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT). In particular, it is now established that even in the one-band Hubbard model metallic ferromagnetism is stable at intermediate values of the interaction U and density n on regular, frustrated lattices. Furthermore, band degeneracy along with Hund's rule couplings is very effective in stabilizing metallic ferromagnetism in a broad range of electron fillings. DMFT also permits one to investigate more complicated correlation models, e.g., the ferromagnetic Kondo lattice model with Coulomb interaction, describing electrons in manganites with perovskite structure. Here we review recent results obtained with DMFT which help to clarify the origin of band-ferromagnetism as a correlation phenomenon.

17 pages, 12 figures; to be published in the Proceedings of the Workshop on "Ground-State and Finite-Temperature Bandferromagnetism", Berlin/Wandlitz, 4-6 October 2000 [Lecture Notes in Physics, Springer Verlag]