Random-field critical behavior of a d=3 Ising system: Neutron scattering studies of Fe0.6Zn0.4F2

Noise-to-noise ratios in correlation length calculations near criticality

For finite quenched random systems, on regular lattices, it is possible to define two types of variances (noises). It is demonstrated that their ratio is useful in calculating the correlation length of an infinite and rather general random system, as a function of temperature. The numerical method of obtaining those variables is not relevant. It can be real-space numerical renormalization, simulation, or any other method. It does not matter. The correlation length obtained by this technique may then be used to obtain directly the critical correlation exponent, ν, rather than indirectly, using scaling relations, as is often done. The method is demonstrated by applying it to the random field Ising model.

Random-field Ising model on isometric lattices: Ground states and non-Porod scattering

We use a computationally efficient graph cut method to obtain ground state morphologies of the random-field Ising model (RFIM) on (i) simple cubic (SC), (ii) body-centered cubic (BCC), and (iii) face-centered cubic (FCC) lattices. We determine the critical disorder strength Δ_{c} at zero temperature with high accuracy. For the SC lattice, our estimate (Δ_{c}=2.278±0.002) is consistent with earlier reports. For the BCC and FCC lattices, Δ_{c}=3.316±0.002 and 5.160±0.002, respectively, which are the most accurate estimates in the literature to date. The small-r behavior of the correlation function exhibits a cusp regime characterized by a cusp exponent α signifying fractal interfaces. In the paramagnetic phase, α=0.5±0.01 for all three lattices. In the ferromagnetic phase, the cusp exponent shows small variations due to the lattice structure. Consequently, the interfacial energy E_{i}(L) for an interface of size L is significantly different for the three lattices. This has important implications for nonequilibrium properties.

Non-Porod behavior in systems with rough morphologies

Many experiments yield multi-scale morphologies which are smooth on some length scales and fractal on others. Accurate statements about morphological properties, e.g., roughness exponent, fractal dimension, domain size, interfacial width, etc. are obtained from the correlation function and structure factor. In this paper, we present structure factor data for two systems: (a) droplet-in-droplet morphologies of double-phase-separating mixtures; and (b) ground-state morphologies in dilute anti-ferromagnets. An important characteristic of the scattering data is a non-Porod tail, which is associated with scattering off rough domains and interfaces.

Dynamical properties of random-field Ising model

Extensive Monte Carlo simulations are performed on a two-dimensional random field Ising model. The purpose of the present work is to study the disorder-induced changes in the properties of disordered spin systems. The time evolution of the domain growth, the order parameter, and the spin-spin correlation functions are studied in the nonequilibrium regime. The dynamical evolution of the order parameter and the domain growth shows a power law scaling with disorder-dependent exponents. It is observed that for weak random fields, the two-dimensional random field Ising model possesses long-range order. Except for weak disorder, exchange interaction never wins over pinning interaction to establish long-range order in the system.

Nonequilibrium phase transitions and stationary-state solutions of a three-dimensional random-field Ising model under a time-dependent periodic external field

Nonequilibrium behavior and dynamic phase-transition properties of a kinetic Ising model under the influence of periodically oscillating random fields have been analyzed within the framework of effective-field theory based on a decoupling approximation. A dynamic equation of motion has been solved for a simple-cubic lattice (q=6) by utilizing a Glauber-type stochastic process. Amplitude of the sinusoidally oscillating magnetic field is randomly distributed on the lattice sites according to bimodal and trimodal distribution functions. For a bimodal type of amplitude distribution, it is found in the high-frequency regime that the dynamic phase diagrams of the system in the temperature versus field amplitude plane resemble the corresponding phase diagrams of the pure kinetic Ising model. Our numerical results indicate that for a bimodal distribution, both in the low- and high-frequency regimes, the dynamic phase diagrams always exhibit a coexistence region in which the stationary state (ferro or para) of the system is completely dependent on the initial conditions, whereas for a trimodal distribution, the coexistence region disappears depending on the values of the system parameters.

Effective-field-theory analysis of the three-dimensional random-field Ising model on isometric lattices

An Ising model with quenched random magnetic fields is examined for single-Gaussian, bimodal, and double-Gaussian random-field distributions by introducing an effective-field approximation that takes into account the correlations between different spins that emerge when expanding the identities. Random-field distribution shape dependencies of the phase diagrams and magnetization curves are investigated for simple cubic, body-centered-cubic, and face-centered-cubic lattices. The conditions for the occurrence of reentrant behavior and tricritical points on the system are also discussed in detail.

Lack of self-averaging of the specific heat in the three-dimensional random-field Ising model

We apply the recently developed critical minimum-energy subspace scheme for the investigation of the random-field Ising model. We point out that this method is well suited for the study of this model. The density of states is obtained via the Wang-Landau and broad histogram methods in a unified implementation by employing the N-fold version of the Wang-Landau scheme. The random fields are obtained from a bimodal distribution (hi = +/-2), and the scaling of the specific heat maxima is studied on cubic lattices with sizes ranging from L=4 to L=32. Observing the finite-size scaling behavior of the maxima of the specific heats we examine the question of saturation of the specific heat. The lack of self-averaging of this quantity is fully illustrated, and it is shown that this property may be related to the question mentioned above.