Monte Carlo investigation of the critical properties of a three-dimensional frustrated Heisenberg model on a triangular lattice

Abstract

The Monte Carlo replica method is used to investigate the critical properties of a three-dimensional frustrated antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a triangular lattice. The static magnetic and chiral critical exponents are calculated within the theory of finite-dimensional scaling: specific heat α=0.05(2); magnetization β=0.30(1), βk=0.52(2); susceptibility γ=1.36(2), γk=0.93(3); and, correlation radius ν=0.64(1), νk=0.64(2). The critical Fisher indices η=−0.06(3) and ηk=0.63(4) for this model are calculated for the first time. It is shown that the three-dimensional frustrated Heisenberg model on a triangular lattice forms a new universality class of critical behavior. It is found that the universality class of the antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on a triangular lattice depends on the type of interlayer exchange interaction.