We use spin-lattice dynamics simulations to study the possibility of modeling the magnetic hysteresis behavior of a ferromagnetic material. The temporal evolution of the magnetic and mechanical degrees of freedom is obtained through a set of two coupled Langevin equations. Hysteresis loops are calculated for different angles between the external field and the magnetocrystalline anisotropy axes. The influence of several relevant parameters is studied, including the field frequency, magnetic damping, magnetic anisotropy (magnitude and type), magnetic exchange, and system size. The role played by a moving lattice is also discussed. For a perfect bulk ferromagnetic system we find that, at low temperatures, the exchange and lattice dynamics barely affect the loops, while the field frequency and magnetic damping have a large effect on it. The influence of the anisotropy magnitude and symmetry are found to follow the expected behavior. We show that a careful choice of simulation parameters allows for an excellent agreement between the spin-lattice dynamics measurements and the paradigmatic Stoner-Wohlfarth model. Furthermore, we extend this analysis to intermediate and high temperatures for the perfect bulk system and for spherical nanoparticles, with and without defects, reaching values close to the Curie temperature. In this temperature range, we find that lattice dynamics has a greater role on the magnetic behavior, especially in the evolution of the defective samples. The present study opens the possibility for more accurate inclusion of lattice defects and thermal effects in hysteresis simulations

The three-dimensional Edwards-Anderson spin-glass model presents strong spatial heterogeneities well characterized by the so-called backbone, a magnetic structure that arises as a consequence of the properties of the ground state and the low-excitation levels of such a frustrated Ising system. Using extensive Monte Carlo simulations and finite size scaling, we study how these heterogeneities affect the phase transition of the model. Although we do not detect any significant difference between the critical behavior displayed by the whole system and that observed inside and outside the backbone, surprisingly, a selective bond dilution of the complement of this magnetic structure induces a change of the universality class, whereas no change is noted when the backbone is fully diluted. This finding suggests that the region surrounding the backbone plays a more relevant role in determining the physical properties of the Edwards-Anderson spin-glass model than previously thought. Furthermore, we show that when a selective bond dilution changes the universality class of the phase transition, the ground state of the model does not undergo any change. The opposite case is also valid, i. e., a dilution that does not change the critical behavior significantly affects the fundamental level.

A silicon micromechanical torsional oscillator is used to measure the hysteresis loops of two manganite La_0.67Ca_0.33MnO_3 nanotubes at different temperatures, applying an external field along its main axes. These structures are composed of nanograins with a ferromagnetic core surrounded by a dead layer. Micromagnetic calculations based on the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, are performed to validate a simple model that allows for quantitatively describing the ferromagnetic behavior of the system. Further simulations are used to analyze the experimental data more in depth and to calculate the coercive field, the saturation and remanent magnetizations, and the effective magnetic volume for single nanotubes, over a wide temperature range.

Chemical techniques are an efficient method to synthesize one-dimensional perovskite manganite oxide nanostructures with a granular morphology, that is, formed by arrays of monodomain magnetic nanoparticles. Integrating the stochastic Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation, we simulate the dynamics of a simple disordered model for such materials that only takes into account the morphological characteristics of their nanograins. We show that it is possible to describe reasonably well experimental hysteresis loops reported in the literature for single La0.67Ca0.33MnO3 nanotubes and powders of these nanostructures, simulating small systems consisting of only 100 nanoparticles.

We present a micron-sized induction magnetometer designed to measure the magnetic response of superconducting mesoscopic samples. The device is manufactured using the Memscap PolyMUMPs process and consists of two octagonal planar parallel micro-coils covering an area of 240 microns X 240 microns, which are separated by only 2.75 microns. We show that this design is sufficiently sensitive to detect the Meissner transition at zero dc field, of a high-Tc superconductor Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 disk of 40 microns in diameter and 1 micron in thicknesses.

We study the critical behavior of two-dimensional short-range quantum spin glasses by numerical simulations. Using a parallel tempering algorithm, we calculate the Binder cumulant for the Ising spin glass in a transverse magnetic field with two different short-range bond distributions, the bimodal and the Gaussian ones. Through an exhaustive finite-size scaling analysis, we show that the universality class does not depend on the exact form of the bond distribution but, most important, that the quantum critical behavior is governed by an infinite randomness fixed point.

The critical behavior of the gauge-glass and the XY spin-glass models in three dimensions is studied by analyzing their nonequilibrium aging dynamics. A new numerical method, which relies on the calculation of the two-time correlation and integrated response functions, is used to determine both the critical temperature and the nonequilibrium scaling exponents, both for spin and chiral degrees of freedom. First, the ferromagnetic XY model is studied to validate this nonequilibirum aging method (NAM) since for this nondisordered system we can compare with known results obtained with standard equilibrium and nonequilibrium techniques. When applied to the case of the gauge-glass model, we show that the NAM allows us to obtain precise and reliable values of its critical quantities, improving previous estimates. The XY spin-glass model with both Gaussian and bimodal bond distributions is analyzed in more detail. The spin and the chiral two-time correlation and integrated response functions are calculated in our simulations. The results obtained mainly for Gaussian and, to a lesser extent, for bimodal interactions support the existence of a spin-chiral decoupling scenario, where the chiral order occurs at a finite temperature while the spin degrees of freedom order at very low or zero temperature.

La adsorción superficial de partículas interactuantes sobre superficies heterogéneas es estudiada mediante simulación de Monte Carlo. La topografía energética ha sido caracterizada en base a parches isoenergéticos de tamaño l, constituidos por sitios débiles o fuertes. Dichos parches se distribuyen al azar, o formando una estructura ordenada tipo tablero de ajedrez. Se identifican cantidades que escalean como leyes de potencia con la longitud característica l. Se discuten las consecuencias de estos resultados en relación con la determinación de la topografía energética superficial a partir de mediciones de adsorción.

We study the ground-state spatial heterogeneities of the Edwards-Anderson spin-glass model with both bimodal and Gaussian bond distributions. We characterize these heterogeneities by using a general definition of bond rigidity, which allows us to classify the bonds of the system into two sets, the backbone and its complement, with very different properties. This generalizes to continuous distributions of bonds the well-known definition of a backbone for discrete bond distributions. By extensive numerical simulations we find that the topological structure of the backbone for a given lattice dimensionality is very similar for both discrete and continuous bond distributions. We then analyze how these heterogeneities influence the equilibrium properties at finite temperature and we discuss the possibility that a suitable backbone picture can be relevant to describe spin-glass phenomena.

In a previous paper [F. Romá, A. J. Ramirez-Pastor, and J. L. Riccardo, Phys. Rev. B 72, 035444 (2005)], the critical behavior of repulsive rigid rods of length k (k-mers) on a square lattice at half coverage has been studied by using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The obtained results indicated that (1) the phase transition occurring in the system is a second-order phase transition for all adsorbate sizes k; and (2) the universality class of the transition changes from 2D Ising-type for monomers (k = 1) to an unknown universality class for k ≥ 2. In the present work, we revisit our previous results together with further numerical evidences, resulting from new extensive MC simulations based on an efficient exchange algorithm and using high-performance computational capabilities. In contrast to our previous conclusions (1) and (2), the new numerical calculations clearly support the occurrence of a first-order phase transition for k ≥ 2. In addition, a similar scenario was found for k-mers adsorbed on the triangular lattice at coverage k/(2k+1).

We investigate slow nonequilibrium dynamical processes in a two-dimensional q-state Potts model with both ferromagnetic and ±J couplings. Dynamical properties are characterized by means of the mean-flipping time distribution. This quantity is known for clearly unveiling dynamical heterogeneities. Using a two-times protocol we characterize the different time scales observed and relate them to growth processes occurring in the system. In particular we target the possible relation between the different time scales and the spatial heterogeneities originated in the ground-state topology, which are associated to the presence of a backbone structure. We perform numerical simulations using an approach based on graphis processing units (GPUs) which permits us to reach large system sizes. We present evidence supporting both the idea of a growing process in the preasymptotic regime of the glassy phases and the existence of a backbone structure behind this process.

We study the two-dimensional Edwards–Anderson spin-glass model using a parallel tempering Monte Carlo algorithm. The ground-state energy and entropy are calculated for different bond distributions. In particular, the entropy is obtained by using a thermodynamic integration technique and an appropriate reference state, which is determined with the method of high-temperature expansion. This strategy provides accurate values of this quantity for finite-size lattices. By extrapolating to the thermodynamic limit, the ground-state energy and entropy of the different versions of the spin-glass model are determined.

In this work we study the critical equilibrium properties and the off‐equilibrium dynamics of an Ising system with non additive interactions. The traditional assumption of additivity is modified for one more general, where the energy of exchange J between two spins depends on their neighbourhood. First, for several non additive situations, we calculated the critical temperature Tc by using paralell tempering Monte Carlo in the canonical assemble and standard finite‐size scaling techniques. Then, we carry out a quench from infinite temperature to a low temperature below Tc (off‐equilibrium dynamics protocol) and we compute two‐time correlation and response functions. We find a violation of fluctuation‐dissipation theorem like coarsening systems. All this was done for several waiting time and several non additive situations. Finally, we analyze the scaling of correlation and response functions for a critical quench from infinite temperature.

The goal of this work is to show that a ferromagneticlike domain-growth process takes place within the backbone of the three-dimensional +/- J Edwards-Anderson (EA) spin glass model. To sustain this affirmation we study the heterogeneities displayed in the out-of-equilibrium dynamics of the model. We show that both correlation function and mean flipping time distribution present features that have a direct relation with spatial heterogeneities, and that they can be characterized by the backbone structure. In order to gain intuition we analyze the pure ferromagnetic Ising model, where we show the presence of dynamical heterogeneities in the mean flipping time distribution that are directly associated to ferromagnetic growing domains. We extend a method devised to detect domain walls in the Ising model to carry out a similar analysis in the three-dimensional EA spin-glass model. This allows us to show that there exists a domain-growth process within the backbone of this model.

We present results showing the correlation between the out-of-equilibrium dynamics and the equilibrium damage-spreading process in the two-dimensional +/- J Edwards-Anderson model at low temperatures. A key ingredient in our analysis is the projection of finite temperature spin configurations onto the ground state topology of the system. In particular, through numerical simulations we correlate ground state information with the out-of-equilibrium dynamics. We also analyse how the propagation of a small perturbation in equilibrated systems is related to the ground state topology. This damage-spreading study unveils the presence of rigid clusters of spins. We claim that these clusters give rise to the slow out-of-equilibrium dynamics observed in the temperature range between the glass temperature T-g - 0 of the two-dimensional +/- J Edwards-Anderson model and the critical temperature T-c of the pure ferromagnetic Ising model.

The nonequilibrium dynamics of the three-dimensional Edwards-Anderson spin-glass model with different bond distributions is investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulation. A numerical method is used to determine the critical temperature and the scaling exponents of the correlation and the integrated response functions. The results obtained agree with those calculated in equilibrium simulations and suggest that the universality class does not depend on the exact form of the bond distribution.

Using information of the ground-state topology we show that the damage spreading technique unveils ferromagnetic order in the three-dimensional +/- J Edwards-Anderson spin glass model. With spin-flipping dynamics damage spreads for temperatures larger than T-g, the glass transition temperature. With spin-orienting dynamics and for temperatures in T-g<T<T-d, damage spreads over a finite region of the system, composed of finite clusters of ferromagnetic character. T-d is the spin-orienting damage critical temperature, which is of the same order as the critical temperature of the ferromagnetic Ising model, T-c. The present results allow for an interpretation within a single framework of known-and sometimes puzzling-results, giving an intuitive picture for growing order in spin glasses. Copyright (c) EPLA, 2010

In the Edwards-Anderson model of spin glasses with a bimodal distribution of bonds, the degeneracy of the ground state allows one to define a structure called backbone, which can be characterized by the rigid lattice (RL), consisting of the bonds that retain their frustration (or lack of it) in all ground states. In this work we have performed a detailed numerical study of the properties of the RL, both in two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) lattices. Whereas in 3D we find strong evidence for percolation in the thermodynamic limit, in 2D our results indicate that the most probable scenario is that the RL does not percolate. On the other hand, both in 2D and 3D we find that frustration is very unevenly distributed. Frustration is much lower in the RL than in its complement. Using equilibrium simulations we observe that this property can be found even above the critical temperature. This leads us to propose that the RL should share many properties of ferromagnetic models, an idea that recently has also been proposed in other contexts. We also suggest a preliminary generalization of the definition of backbone for systems with continuous distributions of bonds, and we argue that the study of this structure could be useful for a better understanding of the low-temperature phase of those frustrated models.

Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling analysis have been carried out to study the critical behavior in a submonolayer lattice-gas which mimics a nanoporous environment. In this model, the adsorbent is modeled as one-dimensional channels of equivalent adsorption sites arranged in a triangular cross-sectional structure. Two kinds of lateral interaction energies have been considered: (1) wL interaction energy between nearest-neighbor particles adsorbed along a single channel and (2) wT interaction energy between particles adsorbed across nearest-neighbor channels. We focus on the case of repulsive transverse (wT>0) and attractive longitudinal (wL<0) lateral interactions, where a rich variety of structural orderings are observed in the adlayer depending on the value of the parameters kBT/wT (being kB the Boltzmann constant) and wL/wT. The results reveal the existence of a first-order phase transition in the adlayer between a low-temperature “condensed” phase and a high-temperature “disordered” phase.

A simple statistical mechanical approach for studying multilayer adsorption of interacting rigid molecular chains of length k (k-mers) has been presented. The new theoretical framework has been developed on a generalization in the spirit of the lattice-gas model and the classical Bragg–Williams (BWA) and quasi-chemical (QCA) approximations. The derivation of the equilibrium equations allows the extension of the well-known Brunauer–Emmet–Teller (BET) isotherm to more complex systems. The formalism reproduces the classical theory for monomers, leads to the exact statistical thermodynamics of interacting k-mers adsorbed in one dimension, and provides a close approximation for two-dimensional systems accounting multisite occupancy and lateral interactions in the first layer. Comparisons between analytical data and Monte Carlo simulations were performed in order to test the validity of the theoretical model. The study showed that: (i) the resulting thermodynamic description obtained from QCA is significantly better than that obtained from BWA and still mathematically handable; (ii) for non-interacting k-mers, the BET equation leads to an underestimate of the true monolayer volume; (iii) attractive lateral interactions compensate the effect of the multisite occupancy and the monolayer volume predicted by BET equation agrees very well with the corresponding true value; and (iv) repulsive couplings between the ad-molecules hamper the formation of the monolayer and the BET results are not good (even worse than those obtained in the non-interacting case).