“Aharonov–Bohm antiferromagnetism” and compensation points in the lattice of quantum rings

Abstract

We investigate the magnetic properties of the lattice of non-interacting quantum rings using the 2D rotator model. The exact analytic expressions for the free energy as well as for the magnetization and magnetic susceptibility are found and analyzed. It is shown that such a system can be considered as a system with antiferromagnetic-like properties. We have shown also that all observable quantities in this case (free energy, entropy, magnetization) are periodic functions of the magnetic flux through the ring's area (as well known, such a behavior is typical for the Aharonov–Bohm effect). For the lattice of quantum rings with two different geometric parameters we investigate the ordinary compensation points (“temperature compensation points”, i.e. points at which the magnetization vanishes at fixed values of the magnetic field strength). It is shown that the positions of compensation points in the temperature scale are very sensitive to small changes in the magnetic field strength.