Soluble classical spin model with competing interactions

Abstract

The partition function and spin pair correlation functions have been calculated exactly for a classical linear chain model with alternate next-nearest-neighbor (nnn) interactions, in which the interaction energies between pairs of nearest (nn) and next-nearest (nnn) neighbor spins are arbitrary functions of the angles between the relevant spins. Of special interest is the cosine interaction model described by the Hamiltonian ℋ=−ΣNi=1[J1(cosϑ2i−1,2i +cosϑ2i,2i+1)+J2cosϑ2i−1,2i+1]. When the nnn interaction is antiferromagnetic (J2<0) it competes with the nn interaction J1, and there can be disorder point(s) at which nnn correlations change from monotonic to oscillatory. The ground state is ferromagnetic when the interaction ratio r≡J2/‖J1‖ ≳−1/2=rc, but is disordered for more negative values. The disorder point locus has been determined. It terminates at zero temperature at rD=−1/21/2, at which point the ground state energy is a maximum. The result that rD differs from rc is thought to be peculiar to one-dimensional models. Over a limited range of values of r there can be two disorder points. The low temperature asymptotic behavior of the partition and correlation functions is analyzed in detail. Also a novel summation formula for spherical Bessel functions is obtained.