Ground-state magnetic properties of the spin-2 transverse Ising model

The ground-state magnetic properties of the spin-2 transverse Ising model with a longitudinal crystal field are studied within the framework of mean-field theory (MFT) and effective-field theory (EFT), respectively. The phase diagrams and magnetization curves are examined in detail. It is found that the system exhibits a tricritical behavior in the ground-state phase diagrams. Some interesting phenomena have been found, especially the first-order phase transition from one ordered phase to the other ordered phase, which is due to the high spin. The spin correlation has important effect on the magnetic properties of the system. We also find that the ground-state phase diagrams of the spin-2 transverse Ising model are very different from those of the spin-3/2 transverse Ising model.     

A renormalization-group study into the effects of competing biquadratic and crystal-field interactions in the Blume–Emery–Griffiths model

The Blume–Emery–Griffiths model, a spin-1 Ising model with bilinear, biquadratic, and crystal field interactions, provides a general system for the analysis of systems driven by fluctuations in density and magnetization. In this study, we consider an exactly solvable system in which frustration is present due to competing biquadratic and crystal-field interactions. Thus, this calculation models a dilute ferromagnetic material with two types of nearest-neighbor site pairs, distinguished by whether or not simultaneous occupation is energetically favored. To determine the effects of this competition, we have constructed exactly solvable frustrated hierarchical models similar to those introduced to study spin glasses. The resulting phase diagrams reveal two distinct paramagnetic phases separated by a plane in parameter space in which the biquadratic interaction and crystal-field strength rescale chaotically. Each paramagnetic phase has a ferromagnetic complement in which the unique distribution of occupied sites possesses a net magnetization.     

The phase diagrams of a spin-1 transverse Ising model

The phase diagrams of the spin-1 transverse Ising model with the presence of a crystal field is investigated by using an effective-field theory (EFT). We give a method to calculate the Gibbs free energy numerically at finite temperature within the EFT. The first-order transition lines are obtained by comparing the Gibbs free energy. The phase diagrams and the Gibbs free energy are also compared with those given using the mean-field theory (MFT).     

A renormalization-group analysis of a spin-1 Ising ferromagnet with competing crystal-field and repulsive biquadratic interactions

Phase diagrams have been produced and critical exponents calculated for a Blume-Emery-Griffiths system with competing biquadratic and crystal-field interactions with uniform ferromagnetic bilinear interactions. This competition directly effects the clustering and density of nonmagnetic impurities. These results have been produced using renormalization-group methods with a hierarchical lattice. A series of planes of constant, repulsive biquadratic coupling have been probed while varying the temperature and concentration of annealed vacancies in the system. The sinks have been analyzed and interpreted, and critical exponents calculated for the higher order transitions.     

The Glauber dynamics for a spin-1 metamagnetic Ising system with bilinear and biquadratic interactions

We present a study, within a mean-field approximation, of the dynamics of a spin-1 metamagnetic Ising system with bilinear and biquadratic interactions in the presence of a time-dependent oscillating external magnetic field. First, we employ the Glauber transition rates to construct the set of mean-field dynamic equations. Then, we study the time variation of the average order parameters to find the phases in the system. We also investigate the thermal behavior of dynamic order parameters to characterize the nature (first- or second-order) of the dynamic transitions. The dynamic phase transitions are obtained and the phase diagrams are constructed in two different the planes. The phase diagrams contain a disordered and ordered phases, and four different mixed phases that strongly depend on interaction parameters. Phase diagrams also display one or two dynamic tricritical points, a dynamic double critical end and dynamic quadruple points. A comparison is made with the results of the other metamagnetic Ising systems.     

Sequence of the phase transitions in a two-dimensional ferromagnet with competing one-ion and exchange anisotropies

The phase states of a two-dimensional ferromagnet system with anisotropic exchange interaction have been investigated for various relations between the material constants. It is shown that the competition between the exchange and the one-ion anisotropies, and the account of the magnetodipolar and the magnetoelastic interactions lead to the sequence of the phase transitions. The explicit solutions of the dispersion equation have been found in the homogeneous phase states.     

The magnetic orderings and phase transitions of rare-earth rhodium borides

Perturbation theory and mean-field approach have been employed in the present work to estimate the Heisenberg coupling constants 's for the ferromagnet DyRh₄B₄ and the antiferromagnet TmRh₄B₄ from their magnetic transition temperatures T_M's in comparison with GdRh₄B₄. We found that the 's of these substances are different from each other, which may be attributed to their different electronic structures and also the anisotropic nature of the Heisenberg exchange coupling.     

Magnetocaloric effect in ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic systems under first and second order phase transition

In this work we present a model to describe the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in ferrimagnetic arrangements. Our model takes into account the magnetoelastic interactions in the two coupled magnetic sublattices, which can lead to the onset of the first order magnetic phase transition and the giant-MCE. Several profiles of the MCE, such as: the inverse- and giant-MCE were systematically studied. Application of the model to the ferromagnetic compounds GdAl₂, Gd₅(Ge_1.72Si_2.28), Gd₅(Ge₂Si₂), and to the ferrimagnetic compound Y₃Fe₅O₁₂ was performed, showing a good agreement with the experimental data.     

Ground-state phases and quantum phase transitions in a two-dimensional spin-1/2 XY model with four-spin interactions

We discuss the ground state phase transition between an antiferromagnet and a valence-bond solid in a two-dimensional spin-1/2 XY model with a four-spin interaction. This transition has been proposed as a candidate for a deconfined quantum-critical point. We analyze quantum Monte Carlo data in order to accurately characterize the transition. The central question that remains to be answered is whether the transition really is continuous, or whether it is actually weakly first-order. We present the current status of both ground state and finite-temperature calculations. Based on the results, we discuss possible scenarios for the transition, none of which is consistent with deconfined quantum-criticality. However, we argue that a deconfined quantum-critical point may be located nearby in an extended parameter space.We also discuss the staggered Ising phase obtaining in the limit of strong four-spin coupling.     

Ground-state phase diagrams of Ising metamagnet in a mixed longitudinal and transverse magnetic field

The ground-state magnetic properties of a two-sublattice Ising metamagnet in a mixed longitudinal and transverse magnetic field are studied within the effective-field theory. A parameter j₂=J₂/J₁ is introduced, which reflects the strength ratio of spin coupling between adjacent planes and in each plane. In addition to the second-order transition lines, the first-order transition lines are also presented, since the ground-state energy can be calculated numerically. The ground-state phase diagrams in h_x–h_z are presented. The results show that when j₂<0 the phase transition of the system is always first-order for h_x<2.751, and when −1000?j₂<0 it is always second-order for h_x>4.36. For the given h_x (0<h_x<14.71), the longitudinal critical magnetic field increases as j₂ decreases. The reentrant phenomenon occurs in the range of j₂<−11.89, h_x>14.71. There is no fourth-order critical point in the phase diagrams given by using EFT as found by using mean field theory (MFT).     

Investigation on the magnetocaloric effect in DyNi2, DyAl2 and Tb1−nGdnAl2 (n=0, 0.4, 0.6) compounds

The magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in the DyNi₂, DyAl₂ and Tb_1−nGd_nAl₂ (n=0, 0.4, 0.6) was theoretically investigated in this work. The DyNi₂ and DyAl₂ compounds are described considering a model Hamiltonian which includes the crystalline electrical field anisotropy. The anisotropic MCE was calculated changing the magnetic field direction from 〈1 1 1〉 to 〈0 0 1〉 in DyNi₂ and from 〈1 0 0〉 to 〈0 1 1〉 in DyAl₂. The influence of the second- and first-order spin-reorientation phase transitions on the MCE that occurs in these systems is discussed. For the calculations of the MCE thermodynamic quantities in the Tb_1−nGd_nAl₂ systems we take into account a two sites magnetic model, and good agreement with the available experimental data was obtained.     

Epitaxial MnP thin films: epitaxial growth,magnetic and electrical properties

We have grown 500 Å MnP on undoped GaAs(1 0 0) substrate using solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. In order to characterize the crystal structure of MnP, we performed in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and θ–2θ XRD X-ray diffraction studies. From the measurements of superconducting quantum interference device, Quantum Design, MnP thin film shows ferromagnetic ordering at around 291.5 K. It shows a metallic resistivity in MnP thin film.     

The phase diagrams of Ni–Mn–Ga alloys in the magnetic field

With the help of the Ginzburg–Landau theory the temperature–magnetic field phase diagrams of Heusler alloys Ni–Mn–Ga are theoretically investigated. The influence of the parameters of the magnetoelastic constants and elastic moduli on the phase diagrams are discussed. It is shown that with the determined combination of the phenomenological parameters, the critical magnetic field for the phase transition appears. The theoretically predicted value of the critical magnetic field is possible to be achieved in the experiment with the help of modern magnetic field sources.     

Fine structure of the field-induced magnetic transition in Nd0.1La0.9Fe11.5Al1.5

For the Nd_0.1La_0.9Fe_11.5Al_1.5 compound, the fine structure of the magnetic transition from the ferromagnetic (FM) to the antiferromagnetic (AFM) states has been studied carefully by means of magnetization (M) and heat capacity (C_p) measurements. Although a single phase with the cubic NaZn₁₃-type structure (Fm3c) has been proved by the room temperature X-ray diffraction pattern, the phase transition has been clearly found to be a stepwise process in M(T) and C_p(T) curves under proper fields. Due to the strong competition between the FM order and AFM order, the characteristic is especially evident under low fields, weakens gradually with the increasing applied field and finally vanishes when the field is higher than 2 T. This multi-step magnetic transition results from the inhomogeneity of the sample, probably due to the inhomogeneous distribution of Nd atoms.     

Magnetic anomalies in single crystalline ErPd2Si2

Considering certain interesting features in the previously reported ¹⁶⁶Er Mössbauer effect, and neutron diffraction data on the polycrystalline form of ErPd₂Si₂ crystallizing in the ThCr₂Si₂-type tetragonal structure, we have carried out magnetic measurements (1.8–300 K) on the single crystalline form of this compound. We observe significant anisotropy in the absolute values of magnetization (indicating that the easy axis is c-axis) as well as in features due to magnetic ordering in the plot of magnetic susceptibility χ versus temperature T at low temperatures. The χ(T) data reveal that there is a pseudo-low-dimensional magnetic order setting in at 4.8 K, with a three-dimensional antiferromagnetic order setting in at a lower temperature (3.8 K). A new finding in the χ(T) data is that, for H∥〈1 1 0〉 but not for H∥〈0 0 1〉, there is a broad shoulder in the range 8–20 K, indicative of the existence of magnetic correlations above 5 K as well, which could be related to the previously reported slow-relaxation-dominated Mössbauer spectra. Interestingly, the temperature coefficient of electrical resistivity is found to be isotropic; no feature due to magnetic ordering could be detected in the electrical resistivity data at low temperatures, which is attributed to magnetic Brillioun-zone boundary gap effects. The results reveal the complex nature of magnetism of this compound.     

Phase transitions and multicritical points in the mixed spin-3/2 and spin-2 Ising model with different single-ion anisotropies

The phase diagram of mixed spin-3/2 and spin-2 Ising ferromagnetic model with different single-ion anisotropies is investigated by the use of a mean-field theory based on the Bogoliubov inequality for the Gibbs free energy. Global phase diagrams are obtained in the temperature-anisotropy plane. In particular, by changing values of the single-ion anisotropies, several different types of phase diagrams of first-order transition between two ordered phases, are studied in detail. A variety of multicritical points such as tricritical points, isolated critical points, and triple points are obtained.     

Structure and magnetic phase diagram of mixed rare-earth Nd1−xTbxFe10.5Mo1.5 compounds

The structural and magnetic properties of Nd_1−xTb_xFe_10.5Mo_1.5 (x=0$x=0$, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0) compounds have been investigated by means of X-ray diffraction and magnetic measurements. All the investigated compounds crystallize in the tetragonal ThMn₁₂-type structure with I4/mmm space group. The lattice parameters a, c and the unit-cell volume V decrease with increasing x. The Curie temperatures T_C are almost independent x. There exists a unique spin-reorientation transition for the end compositions of Nd_1−xTb_xFe_10.5Mo_1.5 compounds with x=0$x=0$ and x=1$x=1$, while two spin-reorientation transitions are observed for x=0.2–0.8$x=0.2–0.8$. The room-temperature magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Nd_1−xTb_xFe_10.5Mo_1.5 compounds changes from uniaxial to planar with increasing x content. Based on magnetic measurements, a magnetic phase diagram of Nd_1−xTb_xFe_10.5Mo_1.5 compounds is constructed. By minimizing the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy, a theoretical magnetic phase diagram for the Nd_1−xTb_xFe_10.5Mo_1.5 system is derived, showing a reasonable agreement with the observations.     

Quantum spin model of a cubic ferromagnet in a magnetic field

The zero temperature phase diagram of a one-dimensional ferromagnet with cubic single ion anisotropy in an external magnetic field is studied. The mean-field approximation and the density-matrix renormalization group method are applied. Two phases at finite magnetic fields are identified: a canted phase with spontaneously broken symmetry and a phase with magnetization along the magnetic field. Both methods predict that the canted phase exists even for the single-ion anisotropy strong enough to destroy the magnetic order at zero magnetic field. In contrast to the mean-field theory, the density-matrix renormalization group predicts a reentrant behavior for the model. The character of the phase transition at finite magnetic field has also been considered and the critical index has been found. Received 9 May 2000 and Received in final form 5 July 2000