A mean-field theory for strongly disordered non-frustrated antiferromagnets

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Heidrun Weber - , Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (Author)
  • Matthias Vojta - , University of Cologne (Author)

Abstract

Motivated by impurity-induced magnetic ordering phenomena in spin-gap materials like TlCuCl3, we develop a mean-field theory for strongly disordered antiferromagnets, designed to capture the broad distribution of coupling constants in the effective model for the impurity degrees of freedom. Based on our results, we argue that in the presence of random magnetic couplings the conventional first-order spin-flop transition of an anisotropic antiferromagnet is split into two transitions at low temperatures, associated with separate order parameters along and perpendicular to the field axis. We demonstrate the existence of either a bicritcal point or a critical endpoint in the temperature-field phase diagram, with the consequence that signatures of the spin flop are more pronounced at elevated temperature.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)185-192
Number of pages8
JournalEuropean Physical Journal B
Volume53
Issue number2
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2006
Peer-reviewedYes
Externally publishedYes