Annual Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials (MMM)
Monte Carlo Studies of Magnetic Systems
D. P. Landau
Abstract
The Monte Carlo method provides accurate values for the thermal and magnetic properties of magnetic systems of localized moments. The basic ‘importance sampling’ technique is described and a critique of the method is presented. The relative accuracy of the method is demonstrated by direct comparison with both exact results for the Ising square lattice and with other approximate theories. The wide applicability of the Monte Carlo approach is shown through the presentation of results of general thermodynamic properties as well as both critical and tricritical phenomena in systems with diverse Hamiltonians. In addition, the method has been applied to systems which do not undergo cooperative transitions and to some complex models of several real magnetic systems. Recent work involving investigations of the dynamic behavior of the Ising model is also discussed.