Kosterlitz-Thouless Phase Transition of the ANNNI model in Two Dimensions

The spin structure of an axial next-nearest-neighbor Ising (ANNNI) model in two dimensions (2D) is a renewed problem because different Monte Carlo (MC) simulation methods predicted different spin orderings. The usual equilibrium simulation predicts the occurrence of a floating incommensurate (IC) Kosterlitz-Thouless (KT) type phase, which never emerges in non-equilibrium relaxation (NER) simulations. In this paper, we first examine previously published results of both methods, and then investigate a higher transition temperature, $T_{c1}$, between the IC and paramagnetic phases. In the usual equilibrium simulation, we calculate the layer magnetization on larger lattices (up to $512 \times 512$ sites) and estimate $T_{c1} \approx 1.16J$ with frustration ratio $\kappa (\equiv -J_2/J_1) = 0.6$. We examine the nature of the phase transition in terms of the Binder ratio $g_L$ of spin overlap functions and the correlation-length ratio $\xi/L$. In the NER simulation, we observe the spin dynamics in equilibrium states by means of an autocorrelation function, and also observe the layer magnetization relaxations from the ground and disordered states. These quantities exhibit an algebraic decay at $T \lesssim 1.17J$. We conclude that the two-dimensional ANNNI model actually admits an IC phase transition of the KT type.Comment: 20 pages, 16 figure

Cluster Heat Bath Algorithm in Monte Carlo Simulations of Ising Models

We have proposed a cluster heat bath method in Monte Carlo simulations of Ising models in which one of the possible spin configurations of a cluster is selected in accordance with its Boltzmann weight. We have argued that the method improves slow relaxation in complex systems and demonstrated it in an axial next-nearest-neighbor Ising(ANNNI) model in two-dimensions.Comment: 10 pages, REVTeX, 2 figures, to appear in Phys.Rev.Let

Three Dimensional Heisenberg Spin Glass Models with and without Random Anisotropy

We reexamine the spin glass (SG) phase transition of the $\pm J$ Heisenberg models with and without the random anisotropy $D$ in three dimensions ($d = 3$) using complementary two methods, i.e., (i) the defect energy method and (ii) the Monte Carlo method. We reveal that the conventional defect energy method is not convincing and propose a new method which considers the stiffness of the lattice itself. Using the method, we show that the stiffness exponent $\theta$ has a positive value ($\theta > 0$) even when $D = 0$. Considering the stiffness at finite temperatures, we obtain the SG phase transition temperature of $T_{\rm SG} \sim 0.19J$ for $D = 0$. On the other hand, a large scale MC simulation shows that, in contrary to the previous results, a scaling plot of the SG susceptibility $\chi_{\rm SG}$ for $D = 0$ is obtained using almost the same transiton temperature of $T_{\rm SG} \sim 0.18J$. Hence we believe that the SG phase transition occurs in the Heisenberg SG model in $d = 3$.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, to be published in J. Phys.

Parisi States in a Heisenberg Spin-Glass Model in Three Dimensions

We have studied low-lying metastable states of the $\pm J$ Heisenberg model in two ($d=2$) and three ($d=3$) dimensions having developed a hybrid genetic algorithm. We have found a strong evidence of the occurrence of the Parisi states in $d=3$ but not in $d=2$. That is, in $L^d$ lattices, there exist metastable states with a finite excitation energy of $\Delta E \sim O(J)$ for $L \to \infty$, and energy barriers $\Delta W$ between the ground state and those metastable states are $\Delta W \sim O(JL^{\theta})$ with $\theta > 0$ in $d=3$ but with $\theta < 0$ in $d=2$. We have also found droplet-like excitations, suggesting a mixed scenario of the replica-symmetry-breaking picture and the droplet picture recently speculated in the Ising SG model.Comment: 4 pages, 6 figure

Finite Size Scaling Analysis of Exact Ground States for +/-J Spin Glass Models in Two Dimensions

With the help of EXACT ground states obtained by a polynomial algorithm we compute the domain wall energy at zero-temperature for the bond-random and the site-random Ising spin glass model in two dimensions. We find that in both models the stability of the ferromagnetic AND the spin glass order ceases to exist at a UNIQUE concentration p_c for the ferromagnetic bonds. In the vicinity of this critical point, the size and concentration dependency of the first AND second moment of the domain wall energy are, for both models, described by a COMMON finite size scaling form. Moreover, below this concentration the stiffness exponent turns out to be slightly negative \theta_S = -0.056(6) indicating the absence of any intermediate spin glass phase at non-zero temperature.Comment: 7 pages Latex, 5 postscript-figures include

A New Method to Calculate the Spin-Glass Order Parameter of the Two-Dimensional +/-J Ising Model

A new method to numerically calculate the $n$th moment of the spin overlap of the two-dimensional $\pm J$ Ising model is developed using the identity derived by one of the authors (HK) several years ago. By using the method, the $n$th moment of the spin overlap can be calculated as a simple average of the $n$th moment of the total spins with a modified bond probability distribution. The values of the Binder parameter etc have been extensively calculated with the linear size, $L$, up to L=23. The accuracy of the calculations in the present method is similar to that in the conventional transfer matrix method with about $10^{5}$ bond samples. The simple scaling plots of the Binder parameter and the spin-glass susceptibility indicate the existence of a finite-temperature spin-glass phase transition. We find, however, that the estimation of $T_{\rm c}$ is strongly affected by the corrections to scaling within the present data ($L\leq 23$). Thus, there still remains the possibility that $T_{\rm c}=0$, contrary to the recent results which suggest the existence of a finite-temperature spin-glass phase transition.Comment: 10 pages,8 figures: final version to appear in J. Phys.

Lower Critical Dimension of Ising Spin Glasses

Exact ground states of two-dimensional Ising spin glasses with Gaussian and bimodal (+- J) distributions of the disorder are calculated using a ``matching'' algorithm, which allows large system sizes of up to N=480^2 spins to be investigated. We study domain walls induced by two rather different types of boundary-condition changes, and, in each case, analyze the system-size dependence of an appropriately defined ``defect energy'', which we denote by DE. For Gaussian disorder, we find a power-law behavior DE ~ L^\theta, with \theta=-0.266(2) and \theta=-0.282(2) for the two types of boundary condition changes. These results are in reasonable agreement with each other, allowing for small systematic effects. They also agree well with earlier work on smaller sizes. The negative value indicates that two dimensions is below the lower critical dimension d_c. For the +-J model, we obtain a different result, namely the domain-wall energy saturates at a nonzero value for L\to \infty, so \theta = 0, indicating that the lower critical dimension for the +-J model exactly d_c=2.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, revte

Novel order parameter to describe the critical behavior of Ising spin glass models

A novel order parameter $\Phi$ for spin glasses is defined based on topological criteria and with a clear physical interpretation. $\Phi$ is first investigated for well known magnetic systems and then applied to the Edwards-Anderson $\pm J$ model on a square lattice, comparing its properties with the usual $q$ order parameter. Finite size scaling procedures are performed. Results and analyses based on $\Phi$ confirm a zero temperature phase transition and allow to identify the low temperature phase. The advantages of $\Phi$ are brought out and its physical meaning is established.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Physica