Monte Carlo simulation of a random-field Ising antiferromagnet

Phase transitions in the three-dimensional diluted Ising antiferromagnet in an applied magnetic field are analyzed numerically. It is found that random magnetic field in a system with spin concentration below a certain threshold induces a crossover from second-order phase transition to first-order transition to a new phase characterized by a spin-glass ground state and metastable energy states at finite temperatures.     

Crystal structures,phase relationships,and magnetic phase transitions of R_5M_4 compounds (R = rare earths,M = Si,Ge)

Our recent studies of the crystal structures, phase transitions, and magnetic properties of intermetallic compounds R5M4 (R = rare earths; M = Si, Ge) are reviewed briefly. First, crystal structures, phase relationships, and magnetic properties of several 5:4 compounds, including Nd5Si4xGex , Pr5Si4xGex, Gd5xLaxGe4,La5Si4, and Gd5Sn4 , are presented. In particular, the canted spin structures as well as the magnetic phase transitions in Pr5Si2Ge2 and Pr 5 Ge 4 investigated by neutron powder diffractions and small-angle neutron scattering are reviewed. Second, the crystal structures and magnetic properties of the most studied compounds Gd5(Si,Ge)4 are summarized. The focus is on the parent compound Gd5Ge4 , which is an amazing material exhibiting magnetic anisotropy, angular dependent spin-flop transition, metastable magnetic response, Griffiths-like phase, thermal effect under pulsed fields, antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic resonances, pronounced effects of impurities, and high-field induced magnetic transitions.     

Thermodynamics of the HMF model with a magnetic field

We study the thermodynamics of the Hamiltonian mean field (HMF) model with an external potential playing the role of a “magnetic field”. If we consider only fully stable states, the caloric curve does not present any phase transition. However, if we take into account metastable states (for a restricted class of perturbations), we find a very rich phenomenology. In particular, the caloric curve displays a region of negative specific heat in the microcanonical ensemble in which the temperature decreases as the energy increases. This leads to ensembles inequivalence and to zeroth order phase transitions similar to the “gravothermal catastrophe” and to the “isothermal collapse” of self-gravitating systems. In the present case, they correspond to the reorganization of the system from an “anti-aligned” phase (magnetization pointing in the direction opposite to the magnetic field) to an “aligned” phase (magnetization pointing in the same direction as the magnetic field). We also find that the magnetic susceptibility can be negative in the microcanonical ensemble so that the magnetization decreases as the magnetic field increases. The magnetic curves can take various shapes depending on the values of energy or temperature. We describe first order phase transitions and hysteretic cycles involving positive or negative susceptibilities. We also show that this model exhibits gaps in the magnetization at fixed energy, resulting in ergodicity breaking.     

Reorientation,multidomain states and domain walls in diluted magnetic semiconductors

The competition between surface/interface and intrinsic anisotropies yields a number of specific reorientation effects and strongly influences magnetization processes in diluted magnetic semiconductors as (Ga,Mn)As and (In,Mn)As. We develop a phenomenological theory to describe reorientation transitions and the accompanying multidomain states applicable to layers of these magnetic semiconductors. It is shown that the magnetic phase diagrams of such systems include a region of four-phase domain structure with four adjoining areas of two-phase domains as well as several regions with coexisting metastable states. We demonstrate that the parameters of isolated domain walls in (Ga,Mn)As nanolayers are extremely sensitive to applied magnetic field and can vary in a broad range. This can be used in microdevices of magnetic semiconductors with pinned domain walls. For (Ga,Mn)As epilayers with perpendicular anisotropy the geometrical parameters of domains have been calculated.     

Investigation of the Disordered Antiferromagnetic Ising Model with the Effects of Random Magnetic Fields

Computer simulation of phase transitions is made by the Monte Carlo method using a three-dimensional disordered antiferromagnetic Ising model in the external magnetic field. It is found that in the case where the spin concentration in a system is lower than a threshold one, the effects of random magnetic fields destroy the second-order phase transition and lead to the first-order phase transition into a new phase state of the system characterized by a ground spin-glassy state and metastable energy states at finite temperatures. The dependence of the threshold concentration on the external magnetic field is revealed.     

Dirac semimetal in three dimensions

We show that the pseudorelativistic physics of graphene near the Fermi level can be extended to three dimensional (3D) materials. Unlike in phase transitions from inversion symmetric topological to normal insulators, we show that particular space groups also allow 3D Dirac points as symmetry protected degeneracies. We provide criteria necessary to identify these groups and, as an example, present ab initio calculations of β-cristobalite BiO(2) which exhibits three Dirac points at the Fermi level. We find that β-cristobalite BiO(2) is metastable, so it can be physically realized as a 3D analog to graphene.     

高压下Fe从bcc到hcp结构相变机理的第一性原理计算

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理方法, 分别研究了压力作用下Fe从体心立方 (bcc,α 相) 结构到六角密排(hcp, ε相) 结构相变的两种不同的相变机理: 相变过程中出现亚稳定的面心立方(fcc) 结构(bcc-fcc-hcp) , 以及相变过程中没有出现亚稳定的fcc结构(bcc-hcp) . 计算结果表明: 静水压力条件下, 相变过程中并不会产生亚稳定的fcc结构, 这与最近的原位XRD实验测量结果相一致. 随着压力的增加, fcc-hcp的相变势垒逐渐增加, 压力趋向于阻止Fe从fcc结构到hcp结构的相变. 计算得到了相变过程中原子磁性和结构的详细信息, 分析表明相变过程中涉及复杂的磁性转变, 并且讨论了原子磁性对结构转变影响的物理机理. 此外, 对分子动力学模拟中产生亚稳定的fcc结构的原因也进行了讨论. 关键词： 相变机理 静水压力 第一性原理 铁     

A phenomenological theory of metastable states in disordered Ising magnets

A mechanism of the formation of an exponentially large number of metastable states in magnetic phases of disordered Ising magnets as a result of condensation of fractal delocalized modes near the localization threshold is suggested. The thermodynamic properties of metastable states are studied in the effective-field approximation in the vicinity of transitions in magnets with zero uniform magnetization in the ground state such as dilute antiferromagnets, spin glasses, and dilute ferromagnets with dipole interaction. These properties are shown to determine the parameters of nonequilibrium processes in the glassy phase, namely, the shape of the hysteresis loop, the thermodynamic values in field-cooled and zero-field-cooled regimes, and the thermoremanent and isothermal remanent magnetization values.     

Longitudinal Inverted Compressibility in Super-strained Metamaterials

We develop a statistical physics theory for solid-solid phase transitions in which a metamaterial undergoes longitudinal contraction in response to increase in external tension. Such transitions, which are forbidden in thermodynamic equilibrium, have recently been shown to be possible during the decay of metastable, super-strained states. We present a first-principles model to predict these transitions and validate it using molecular dynamics simulations. Aside from its immediate mechanical implications, our theory points to a wealth of analogous inverted responses, such as inverted susceptibility or heat-capacity transitions, allowed when considering realistic scales.     

Mesoscopic superconducting disks

Using the nonlinear Ginzburg–Landau (GL) equations, type I superconducting disks of finite radius (R) and thickness (d) are studied in a perpendicular magnetic field. Depending on R and d, first- or second-order phase transitions are found for the normal to superconducting state. For sufficiently large R, several transitions in the superconducting phase are found corresponding to different angular momentum giant vortex states. In an increasing magnetic field the superconductor is in its ground state, while in a field down sweep it is possible to drive the system into metastable states. We also present a quantitative analysis of the relation between the detector output and the sample magnetization. The latter, and the incorporation of the finite thicknesses of the disks, are essential in order to obtain quantitative agreement with experiment.     

Nature of the high-pressure transition in Fe2O3 hematite

We present a new method to separate the crystallographic and electronic phase transitions in hematite using x-ray emission spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. Our observations, based on the behavior of a metastable high-pressure phase in the stability domain of the low-pressure phase, show that the electronic transition is preempted by the crystallographic transition. The former occurs only afterwards in the high-pressure phase, possibly as a result of a Mott transition. The idea that the electronic transition drives the transition in hematite is therefore invalidated. Such methods should help elucidate the mechanics and the driving forces behind a number of first-order high-pressure phase transitions.     

Magnetic color symmetry of lattice rotations in a diamagnetic material

Oxygen octahedral rotations are the most common phase transitions in perovskite crystal structures. Here we show that the color symmetry of such pure elastic distortions is isomorphic to magnetic point groups, which allows their probing through distinguishing polar versus magnetic symmetry. We demonstrate this isomorphism using nonlinear optical probing of the octahedral rotational transition in a compressively strained SrTiO3 thin film that exhibits ferroelectric (4mm) and antiferrodistortive (4{'}mm{'}) phases evolving through independent phase transitions. The approach has broader applicability for probing materials with lattice rotations that can be mapped to color groups.     

Asymmetrically shaped hysteresis loop in exchange-biased FeNi/FeMn film

The magnetization reversal of the bilayer polycrystalline FeNi(50 Å)/FeMn(50 Å) film sputtered in a magnetic field has been studied by magnetic and magneto-optical techniques. The external magnetic fields were applied along the easy or hard magnetization axis of the ferromagnetic permalloy layer. The asymmetry of hysteresis loop has been found. Appreciable asymmetry and the exchange bias were observed only in the field applied along the easy axis. The specific features of magnetization reversal were explained within the phenomenological model that involves high-order exchange anisotropy and misalignment of the easy axes of the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers. It has been shown that the film can exist in one of three equilibrium magnetic states in the field applied along the easy axis. The transitions between these states occur as first-order phase transitions. The observed hysteresis loop asymmetry is related to the existence of the metastable state.     

Application of nonlinear dynamic system approach to oscillations of mercury arc in external magnetic field

Oscillations of an arc burning in mercury vapours and exposed to an external axial magnetic field were recorded. The fast Fourier transform, phase portrait construction and attractor dimension calculations show that the experimental results present a nonlinear dynamic system with a rich scenario of various metastable states and transitions between them. The system develops spontaneously with time mainly through a formation of new subharmonic frequencies. Among the different transition types especially the chaotic transitions may result in relatively long intervals of chaotic behaviour which are interesting from the point of view of the nonlinear system studies.     

Magnetostatic effects in the nucleation of rare earth ferromagnetic phases

It has been reported that superheating, supercooling, and explosive kinetics coupled to other degrees of freedom occur at the ferromagnetic transitions of Er and Dy, and that metastable phases occur during the transition kinetics of Er. We explain these observations in terms of magnetostatic energy, which requires highly eccentric nuclei in the homogeneous nucleation of magnetic transitions in heavy rare earths. The magnetostatics favor transitions through ferrimagnetic intermediaries. The unusual kinetics derive from effective spin lattice relaxation.     

Dynamic Behavior of a Spin- 1 Ising Model. I. Relaxation of Order Parameters and the “Flatness” Property of Metastable States

The dynamic behavior of a spin-1 Ising system with arbitrary bilinear and biquadratic pair interactions is studied by using the path probability method, and approaches of the system toward the stable or metastable equilibrium states according to the ratio of interaction parameters and rate constants are presented. In particular, we investigate the relaxation of the order parameters for temperatures less than, equal to, and greater than the second-order and first-order phase transitions. From this investigation, the “flatness” property of metastable states is seen explicitly. We also show how a system freezes in a metastable state as well as how it escapes from one metastable state to the other.     

Calculation of minor hysteresis loops under metastable to stable transformations in vortex matter

We present a model in which metastable supercooled phase and stable equilibrium phase of vortex matter coexist in different regions of a sample. Minor hysteresis loops are calculated with the simple assumption of the two phases of vortex matter having field-independent critical current densities. We use our earlier published ideas that the free energy barrier separating the metastable and stable phases reduces as the magnetic induction moves farther from the first order phase transition line, and that metastable to stable transformations occur in local regions of the sample when the local energy dissipation exceeds a critical value. Previously reported anomalous features in minor hysteresis loops are reproduced, and calculated field profiles are presented.     

Spin relaxation and band excitation of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate in 2D optical lattices

We observe interband transitions mediated by dipole-dipole interactions for an array of 1D quantum gases of chromium atoms, trapped in a 2D optical lattice. Interband transitions occur when dipolar relaxation releases an energy larger than the lattice band gap. For symmetric lattice sites, and a magnetic field parallel to the lattice axis, we compare the measured dipolar relaxation rate with a Fermi golden rule calculation. Below a magnetic field threshold, we obtain an almost complete suppression of dipolar relaxation, leading to metastable 1D gases in the highest Zeeman state.     

Metastable states and their disintegration at pulse liquid heating and electrical explosion of conductors

The regularities of formation of metastable states and their disintegration under pulse liquid heating and electrical heating and explosion of conductors are studied. With a high energy flux density, the phase transitions occur with a high intensity of heat and mass fluxes, leading to spontaneous generation of a new phase and to phase explosion. The basic features of bubble-like disintegration in not uniformly superheated water and alcohol layers on the microheater are found. Regularities of matter disintegration with electrically exploded conductors are obtained. The metastable liquid disintegration is experimentally investigated for characteristic times of matter transfer to a metastable state of 1 to 4 μs; phase transitions during electric conductor explosion are studied at characteristic times of transfer to a metastable state to 200 ns. A common approach to describing the effects with radically different characteristic times of transfer of the matter to a metastable state is developed.     

Ising model with a new class of four-spin interactions

The Ising model on a Union-Jack lattice, described by a Hamiltonian with second-neighbor pair-pair, four-spin, infinite-range interactions is considered. The model is solved exactly and the results are compared with MFA predictions. Within the exact treatment two new classes of phase transitions are obtained. The first one includes transitions from a disordered to a metastable, ordered and then to a stable and ordered phase with decreasing temperature. The metastable phase does not appear if the temperature is increased. The second one contains transitions between ordered and partialy ordered, partialy frustrated phases.