Pressure enhancement of the giant magnetocaloric effect in Tb5Si2Ge2

Effects of temperature and pressure on magnetic, elastic, structural, and thermal properties of Tb5Si2Ge2 have been studied by means of macroscopic (thermal expansion and magnetization) and microscopic (neutron powder diffraction) techniques. We present evidence that the high-temperature second-order ferromagnetic transition can be coupled with the low-temperature first-order structural phase change into a single first-order magnetic-crystallographic transformation at and above a tricritical point in the vicinity of 8.6 kbar. This pressure-induced coupling has a remarkable effect on the magnetocaloric effect, transforming Tb5Si2Ge2 from an ordinary into a giant magnetocaloric effect material.     

Phase transition in a linear chain of classical spins with a logarithmic nearest neighbour pair potential

We present the complete calculation of the partition function and correlation functions of a linear array of classical spins coupled by a nearest neighbour logarithmic pair potential. In the case of a ferromagnetic coupling there occurs a phase transition at T_c > 0. The critical exponents of the specific heat C and the magnetic susceptibility χ (in the absence of an external field) are shown to have the non-classical value α = 2 and classical value γ = 1 respectively. The underlying mathematical mechanism of the phase transition is the complete degeneracy of all the eigenvalues of the corresponding integral equation (Kac's mechanism). Below T_c the partition function becomes complex. For antiferromagnetic coupling the free energy is analytic in the whole temperature range and so no phase transition occurs in this case.     

The spin-peierls critical temperature in an XY quasi-one-dimensional system with nearest and next-nearest neighbour interactions

The mean field critical temperature for the spin-Peierls phase transition in the XY antiferromagnetic chain is obtained for nearest and next nearest neighbour exchange interaction. An increase in T_c is predicted for next nearest neighbour antiferromagnetic exchange and a decrease is obtained for ferromagnetic exchange. This model is applied to the alkali-TCNQ salts, which are treated in the framework of the highly correlated Hubbard model.     

Temperature-induced magnetic phase transitions in crystals with competing single-ion and interionic magnetic anisotropies

Temperature-induced phase transitions in a uniaxial ferromagnetic system of spins S = 1 with competing one-particle and two-particle anisotropies are studied. It is shown that, in the case where easy-plane single-ion anisotropy dominates over easy-axis two-particle anisotropy, the transition from the paramagnetic state to a ferromagnetic state with magnetization perpendicular to the anisotropy axis is a second-order displacive magnetic phase transition. In the opposite case, where two-particle anisotropy dominates over single-particle anisotropy, the transition to a ferromagnetic state with magnetization perpendicular to the anisotropy axis is also continuous but of the order-disorder type. In a system with competing second-order one-and two-particle anisotropies, the orientational first-order phase transition can occur to a state with the magnetization directed along or perpendicular to the anisotropy axis.     

Monte Carlo study of an Ising gauge system

The phase diagram of the 3-d Ising gauge model with additional ferromagnetic nearest neighbour Ising coupling is explored by Monte Carlo simulations.     

Phase transition analysis in Z2 and U(1) lattice gauge theories

The transition region of Z₂ lattice gauge theory is investigated by inverting the strong coupling series of the average plaquette energy E_P(J). We find a clear evidence for a first-order transition and the existence of a metastable phase. In the U(1) case we confirm a second-order phase transition even if there is a little discrepancy on the critical point position as indicated by Monte Carlo simulations.     

Phase Diagram of 2 × 2 Adsorbates at Surfaces with Hexagonal Symmetry

The phase diagram of a lattice-gas model for 2 2 2 adsorbates at surfaces with hexagonal symmetry has been investigated by Monte Carlo simulations. The model relies on repulsive interactions between the particles for distances up to second nearest neighbor sites. It is shown that first- or second-order phase transitions take place depending on the strength of the interactions. Strong first- or second-neighbor interactions are responsible for a first-order transition while for intermediate interaction strength a second-order transition is possible. The critical exponent for the susceptibility shows the expected value of the four-states Potts model in case of a second-order transition. The value of the critical exponent is reduced when the transition changes from first to second order.     

Entropy and magnetocaloric effects in ferromagnets undergoing first- and second-order magnetic phase transitions

The exchange striction model is invoked to derive an expression for the entropy of ferromagnetic materials undergoing first- and second-order magnetic phase transitions. The magnetocaloric and barocaloric effects are calculated for the ferromagnet La(Fe_0.88Si_0.12)₁₃ undergoing a first-order phase transition. The calculated results are in fair agreement with experimental data. The ferromagnet La(Fe_0.88Si_0.12)₁₃ is used as an example to predict the changes in magnetic and magnetocaloric properties associated with gradual increase in the magnetoelastic coupling constant (i.e., with passage from first- to second-order magnetic transition region). It is shown that stronger magnetoelastic coupling leads to stronger magnetocaloric effects and changes their dependence on magnetic field and pressure. Expressions are obtained for the maximum field- and pressure-induced entropy changes. An analysis is presented of the mechanism responsible for the increase in magnetocaloric and barocaloric effects associated with change from the second- to first-order magnetic phase transition.     

Inhomogeneous Ising models with diagonal structure on a square lattice

We study inhomogeneous Ising models on a square lattice. The nearest neighbour couplings are allowed to be of arbitrary strength and sign such that the coupling distribution is translationally invariant in diagonal direction. We calculate the partition function and free energy for a random coupling distribution of finite period. The phase transition is universally of Ising type. The transition temperature is independent of specific details of the coupling distribution. In particular, unexpected results for the absence of a phase transition are derived. Special examples are considered in detail, phase diagrams and critical temperature are determined. We calculate ground state energy and ground state degeneracy or, equivalently, rest entropy for “pure” frustration models, i.e. models with couplings of fixed strength but arbitrary sign, which never show a phase transition at a finite temperature.     

Competing Ising interactions and chaotic glass-like behaviour on a Cayley tree

For the Ising model on a Cayley tree with competing nearest neighbour coupling J and next nearest neighbour coupling J′, we find in addition to the expected paramagnetic, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic phases, an intermediate range of J′/J < 0 values where the local magnetization has chaotic oscillatory glass-like behaviour.     

On the Interplay of Magnetic and Molecular Forces in Curie–Weiss Ferrofluid Models

We consider a mean-field continuum model of classical particles in R ^d with Ising or Heisenberg spins. The interaction has two ingredients, a ferromagnetic spin coupling and a spin-independent molecular force. We show that a feedback between these forces gives rise to a first-order phase transition with simultaneous jumps of particle density and magnetization per particle, either at the threshold of ferromagnetic order or within the ferromagnetic region. If the direct particle interaction alone already implies a phase transition, then the additional spin coupling leads to an even richer phase diagram containing triple (or higher order) points.     

Novel phase transitional properties on specific heat of diluted magnetic semiconductor

Three types of phase transitions in diluted magnetic semiconductor, first-order, second-order and mixed-order, are found in theory. Especially the mixed-type transition shows two-steps transition and novel specific heat property. Specific heat properties disclose a possible meta ferromagnetic phase confirmed by the experimental qualitative result.     

Upper bounds on the transition temperature of classical n.n. ferromagnetic systems for general n and d

A differential equation is obtained for the spin-spin correlation function of a system of n-component classical spins interacting via a nearest neighbour ferromagnetic interaction. The differential equation makes it possible to obtain upper bounds on the correlation length and the transition temperature. It also makes it possible to relate the correlation length with the energy per spin and to obtain a necessary condition for the existence of the phase transition in terms of the energy per spin.     

Magnetic phase transitions and the dynamic electric polarization in the LaMn<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>5</Subscript> compound

Possible phase transitions to the ferromagnetic phase in the LaMn₂O₃ compound have been studied in the framework of a phenomenological approach based on a symmetry analysis. The conditions that parameters of the thermodynamic potential must satisfy to realize a second-order transition have been found. The line of the first-order phase transitions in this system and the critical point of the second-order phase transition line have been determined. It was shown that a dynamic electric polarization can form in the antiferromagnetic phase.     

Pressure induced magnetic and semiconductor–metal phase transitions in Cr_2MoO_6

We investigate magnetic ordering and electronic structures of Cr_2MoO_6under hydrostatic pressure. To overcome the band gap problem, the modified Becke and Johnson exchange potential is used to investigate the electronic structures of Cr_2MoO_6. The insulating nature at the experimental crystal structure is produced, with a band gap of 1.04 eV, and the magnetic moment of the Cr atom is 2.50 μB, compared to an experimental value of about 2.47 μB. The calculated results show that an antiferromagnetic inter-bilayer coupling–ferromagnetic intra-bilayer coupling to a ferromagnetic inter-bilayer coupling–antiferromagnetic intra-bilayer coupling phase transition is produced with the pressure increasing. The magnetic phase transition is simultaneously accompanied by a semiconductor–metal phase transition. The magnetic phase transition can be explained by the Mo–O hybridization strength, and ferromagnetic coupling between two Cr atoms can be understood by empty Mo-d bands perturbing the nearest O-p orbital.     

Resolvents,semigroups and Gibbs states for infinite coupling constant

The infinite coupling constant limit of the resolvent, the semigroup and the Gibbs state is obtained for a certain class of perturbations. As an example the infinite intrasite repulsion limit of the one-dimensional Hubbard model with nearest neighbour hopping terms is treated. This system exhibits a phase transition in the thermodynamic limit.     

Monte Carlo study of low/high spin transitions

We study the finite temperature property of a model on two dimensional square lattices with two Ising spins at each lattice site by Monte Carlo simulations. When those Ising spins at a lattice site are parallel the site is said to be in the high-spin state (HS), while when they are antiparallel the site is said to be in the low-spin state (LS). Throughout the study, the energy of HS is presumed to be higher than that of LS. Two Ising spins at each site are added to form a total spin, which interacts with its nearest neighbour total spins via spin-spin couplings. The spin-phonon coupling also is introduced via harmonic springs between nearest neighbour sites with spring constants and equilibrium distances depending on the spin states of the sites involved. In this system, we investigate the feature of transitions between LS and HS (to be called low/high spin transition (LHST)) by varying the temperature. As for the ferromagnetic interaction between total spins, the second order phase transition: pure HSmixed state of HS and LS is possible to occur in a pure spin system, as is expected from mean field calculations. The role of lattice distortions by the change of lattice spacings is shown to be essential for LHST: pure LS(pure)HS. In the model investigated, there appears an indication of the strong first order phase transition which reveals a conspicuous hysteresis.     

Ground-state energy of a quantum chain with competing interactions

We show rigorously that the ground state of a quantum chain with competing ferromagnetic nearest and antiferromagnetic next nearest interactions undergoes a transition from ferromagnetic to helical type, in the isotropic case, for a certain value of the relevant ratio of coupling constants. Boundaries of the phase diagram are also determined in the anisotropic case. The stability of a special quantum state (corresponding to a classical modulated phase of =/3) is analyzed by an extension of Holstein-Primakoff arguments, along a line of constant ratio of couplings, showing in particular a sequence of (instability) gaps. Finally, a natural adaptation of a variational wave function due to Huse and Elser is used to study several portions of the phase diagram, with very good agreement with previous theoretical results.     

SIERPINSKI GASKET晶格上具有次近邻相互作用高斯模型的临界行为

利用等效变换和重正化群变换的方法,在Sierpinskigasket晶格上研究了具有近邻和次近邻相互作用Gaussian模型的临界性质,求出了临界温度和关联长度临界指数．结果表明：在相变点近邻相互作用K1和次近邻相互作用K2之间满足一定的关系,这种关系对铁磁体和反铁磁体都适用．并且考虑次近邻相互作用后,临界温度和临界指数都不发生改变．     

Phase transitions in the ferromagnetic alloys Ni2+x Mn1−x Ga

The phase diagram of the cubic ferromagnetic shape-memory alloy Ni_2+x Mn_1−x Ga is constructed theoretically for the case when the Curie temperature is close to the structural transition temperature. This diagram agrees well with the experimental data obtained from resistance and magnetic susceptibility measurements. It is shown that the transition from the paramagnetic cubic phase to the ferromagnetic tetragonal phase can be second-order or first-order. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 3, 212–216 (10 February 1998)