Classical spin models and basic magnetic interactions on 1/1-approximant crystals

Abstract

We study classical spin models on the 1/1 Tsai-type approximant lattice using Monte Carlo and mean-field methods. Our aim is to understand whether the phase diagram differences between Gd- and Tb-based approximants can be attributed to anisotropy induced by the crystal-electric field. To address this question, we treat Gd ions as Heisenberg spins and Tb ions as Ising spins. Additionally, we consider the presence of the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction to replicate the experimentally observed correlation between magnetic properties and electron concentration. Surprisingly, our findings show that the transition between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic order remains unaltered by the anisotropy, even when accounting for the dipole interaction. We conclude that a more comprehensive model, extending beyond the free-electron gas RKKY interaction, is likely required to fully understand the distinctions between Gd- and Tb-based approximants. Our work represents a systematic exploration of the impact of anisotropy on the ground-state properties of classical spin models in quasicrystal approximants. Published by the American Physical Society 2024