Surface effects on magnetic phase transitions

Abstract

The surface scaling theory previously presented by the authors is developed further, and derived heuristically from a cluster model. Monte Carlo calculations are carried out to obtain the spatial and temperature dependence of the magnetization in Ising and Heisenberg systems with free surfaces. The exponent ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{1}$ of the (surface) layer magnetization is shown to agree with the scaling value (${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{1}\ensuremath{\approx}\frac{2}{3}$) previously derived. In the Heisenberg system, the results at low temperature agree with a spin-wave calculation by Mills and Maradudin. Ising models with modified exchange ${J}_{s}=J(1+\ensuremath{\Delta})\ensuremath{\ne}J$ on the surface are considered, both in mean-field theory and by means of high-temperature-series expansions. The critical value ${\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{c}$ for surface ordering is found from the series to be 0.6, compared to the mean-field value of 0.25. For $\ensuremath{\Delta}>{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{c}$ there is a temperature region in which the surface behaves like a bulk two-dimensional Ising model near its phase transition. The critical exponents experience a crossover at $\ensuremath{\Delta}={\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{c}$, which is reflected in poorly behaved series, and effective exponents differing from the true ones for $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\lesssim}{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{c}$. In the case of weakened surface exchange ($0<{J}_{s}<J$), the layer magnetization is shown to fit a linear temperature dependence over a large temperature range below ${T}_{c}$, thus providing a possible explanation for previous experiments. For sufficiently strong negative ${J}_{s}$, mean-field theory predicts that the surface will order antiferromagnetically while the bulk is ferromagnetic.