Finite-temperature phase diagram of ultrathin magnetic films without external fields

SANTIAGO A. PIGHÍN; ORLANDO V. BILLONI; SERGIO A. CANNAS

PHYSICAL REVIEW E - STATISTICAL PHYSICS, PLASMAS, FLUIDS AND RELATED INTERDISCIPLINARY TOPICS

American Physical Society

Lugar: New York; Año: 2012 vol. 86 p. 51119 - 51119

1063-651X

We analyze the finite-temperature phase diagram of ultrathin magnetic films by introducing a mean-field theory, valid in the low-anisotropy regime, i.e., close to the spin reorientation transition. The theoretical results are compared with Monte Carlo simulations carried out on a microscopic Heisenberg model. Connections between the finite-temperature behavior and the ground-state properties of the system are established. Several properties of the stripe pattern, such as the presence of canted states, the stripe width variation phenomenon, and the associated magnetization profiles, are also analyzed.