Physical review. B, Solid state
Phase diagram of the triangular Ising model: Renormalization-group calculation with application to adsorbed monolayers
Michael Schick C, James S. Walker, Michael Wortis
Abstract
We study a triangular Ising model subject to nearest-neighbor pair interactions $K$, an external magnetic field $H$, and triangular three-spin interactions $P$. $K>0 (<0)$ corresponds to ferromagnetic (antiferromagnetic) coupling. The phase diagram and thermodynamics are invariant under $(K,H,P)\ensuremath{\leftrightarrow}(K,\ensuremath{-}H,\ensuremath{-}P)$. A simple position-space renormalization group is formulated, based on three interpenetrating three-spin cells, which preserves the three-sublattice symmetry of the antiferromagnetic phase. The complete ($K,H,P$) phase diagram consists of five interconnecting transition surfaces (two second-order and three first-order), which bound the four single-phase regions (\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\uparrow}, \ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}, \ensuremath{\uparrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}, and \ensuremath{\downarrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}\ensuremath{\downarrow}). The edges of these surfaces form loci of second-order, critical-endpoint, and Baxter-Wu transitions. When $P=0$, this system is known to provide a useful model of the order-disorder transition in monolayer films adsorbed on a hexagonal substrate. Calculation of the magnetization $M(K,H)$ and heat capacity ${c}_{M}(K,H)$ of the Ising model allows quantitative comparison with experimental data for helium on graphite. The observed dependence ${T}_{c}(n)$ of the transition temperature on coverage is well fit with a single effective antiferromagnetic pair interaction. The corresponding calculated heat capacities (no additional adjustable parameters) are in remarkable agreement with experimental data near and below ${T}_{c}$.