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The use of partition function zeros in the study of phase transition is growing in the last decade mainly due to improved numerical methods as well as novel formulations and analysis. In this paper the impact of different parameters choice for the energy probability distribution (EPD) zeros recently introduced by Costa et al is explored in search for optimal values. Our results indicate that the EPD method is very robust against parameter variations and only small deviations on estimated critical temperatures are found even for large variation of parameters, allowing to obtain accurate results with low computational cost. A proposal to circumvent potential convergence issues of the original algorithm is presented and validated for the case where it occurs.

In this paper we conduct Monte Carlo simulations to investigate the thermodynamic properties of a geometry of artificial spin ice recently proposed in the literature that had been termed "rewritable" spin ice, for its experimental realization allows total control over the microstates of the system. Our results show that in the thermodynamic limit a single phase transition between a fully magnetized state and a paramagnetic state exists, whereas for finite systems an intermediate phase also emerges, engendering a low temperature pseudo phase transition. This intermediate phase is characterized by large magnetic domains separated by domain walls composed of monopole-like excitations, resulting in low net magnetization values. We also show that two types of low energy excitations that behave as magnetic monopoles emerge in the system, both of which are geometrically constrained to move along a predefined path., Comment: 10 pages, 11 figures

This contribution is devoted to cover some technical aspects related to the use of the recently proposed energy probability distribution zeros in the study of phase transitions. This method is based on the partial knowledge of the partition function zeros and has been shown to be extremely efficient to precisely locate phase transition temperatures. It is based on an iterative method in such a way that the transition temperature can be approached at will. The iterative method will be detailed and some convergence issues that has been observed in its application to the 2D Ising model and to an artificial spin ice model will be shown, together with ways to circumvent them., Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures, proceeding of the IX BMSP

In the study of phase transitions a very few models are accessible to exact solution. In the most cases analytical simplifications have to be done or some numerical technique has to be used to get insight about their critical properties. Numerically, the most common approaches are those based in Monte Carlo simulations together finite size scaling analysis. The use of Monte Carlo techniques requires the estimate of quantities like the specific heat or susceptibilities in a wide range of temperature or the construction of the density of states in large intervals of energy. Although many of these techniques are well developed they may be very time consuming when the system size becomes large enough. It should be suitable to have a method that could surpass those difficulties. In this work we present an iterative method to study the critical behavior of a system based on the partial knowledge of the complex Fisher zeros set of the partition function. The method is general with advantages over most conventional techniques since it does not need to identify any order parameter \emph{a priori}. The critical temperature and exponents can be obtained with great precision even in the most unamenable cases like the two dimensional $XY$ model. To test the method and to show how it works we applied it to some selected models where the transitions are well known: The 2D Ising, Potts and XY models and to a homopolymer system. Our choice cover systems with first order, continuous and Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless transitions as well as the homopolymer that has two pseudo-transitions. The strategy can easily be adapted to any model, classical or quantum, once we are able to build the corresponding energy probability distribution., Comment: 9 pages, 11 figures, 5 tables

We examine the phase diagram of the spin-$1$ $J_1-J_2-J_3$ ferromagnetic Heisenberg model with an easy-plane crystal field on the cubic lattice, in which $J_1$ is the ferromagnetic exchange interaction between nearest neighbors, $J_2$ is the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between next-nearest neighbors and $J_3$ is the antiferromagnetic exchange interaction between next-next-nearest neighbors. Using the bond-operator formalism, we investigate the phase transitions between the disordered paramagnetic phase and the ordered ones. We show that the nature of the quantum phase transitions change as the frustration parameters ($\frac{J_2}{J_1}$, $\frac{J_3}{J_1}$) are varied. The zero-temperature phase diagram exhibits second- and first-order transitions, depending on the energy gap behavior. Remarkably, we find a disordered nonmagnetic phase, even in the absence of a crystal field, which is suggested to be a quantum spin liquid candidate. We also depict the phase diagram at finite temperature for some values of crystal field and frustration parameters.

Using the two dimensional $XY-(S(O(3))$ model as a test case, we show that analysis of the Fisher zeros of the canonical partition function can provide signatures of a transition in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless ($BKT$) universality class. Studying the internal border of zeros in the complex temperature plane, we found a scenario in complete agreement with theoretical expectations which allow one to uniquely classify a phase transition as in the $BKT$ class of universality. We obtain $T_{BKT}$ in excellent accordance with previous results. A careful analysis of the behavior of the zeros for both regions $\mathfrak{Re}(T) \leq T_{BKT}$ and $\mathfrak{Re}(T) > T_{BKT}$ in the thermodynamic limit show that $\mathfrak{Im}(T)$ goes to zero in the former case and is finite in the last one.

Magnetricity- the magnetic equivalent of electricity- was recently verified experimentally for the first time. Indeed, just as the stream of electric charges produces electric current, emergent magnetic monopoles have been observed to roam freely (generating magnetic current) in geometrically frustrated magnets known as spin ice. However, this is realized only by considering extreme physical conditions as a single crystal of spin ice has to be cooled to a temperature of $0.36 K$. Candidates to overcome this difficulty are artificial analogues of spin ice crystals, the so-called artificial spin ices. Here we show that, by tuning geometrical frustration down, a peculiar type of these artificial systems is an excellent candidate. We produce this material and experimentally observe the emergent monopoles; then, we calculate the effects of external magnetic fields, illustrating how to generate controlled magnetic currents. This potential nano-device for use in magnetronics can be practical even at room temperature and the relevant parameters (such as magnetic charge strength etc) for developing this technology can be tuned at will., Comment: 5 pages (revtex)

We have proposed in this work an original system composed by anti-dots nanopatterned in a ferromagnetic thin film, mimicking negatively the structure of an articial spin ice. In the hysteresis loop we notice the emergency of an anisotropy in the magnetization saturation and in the micromagnetic simulations, in the beginning of the hysteresis loop (relaxation), the formation of a vortex crystal array with vortices in diferent positions possessing random polarization and chirality. The crystal of vortices in this electrically connected sample could be most eficient than those observed in non-connected nanodiscs for current-driven or magnetic vortices switching by electric currents., Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures

In this work we have used extensive Monte Carlo calculations to study the planar to paramagnetic phase transition in the two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model with dipolar interactions (AHd) considering the true long-range character of the dipolar interactions by means of the Ewald summation. Our results are consistent with an order-disorder phase transition with unusual critical exponents in agreement with our previous results for the Planar Rotator model with dipolar interactions. Nevertheless, our results disagrees with the Renormalization Group results of Maier and Schwabl [PRB, 70, 134430 (2004)] and the results of Rapini et. al. [PRB, 75, 014425 (2007)], where the AHd was studied using a cut-off in the evaluation of the dipolar interactions. We argue that besides the long-range character of dipolar interactions their anisotropic character may have a deeper effect in the system than previously believed. Besides, our results shows that the use of a cut-off radius in the evaluation of dipolar interactions must be avoided when analyzing the critical behavior of magnetic systems, since it may lead to erroneous results., Comment: Accepted for publication in the Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials. arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1109.1840

In this work we study demagnetization protocols for an artificial spin ice in a triangular geometry. Our results show that a simple hysteresis-like process is very efficient in driving the system to its ground state, even for a relatively strong disorder in the system, confirming previous expectations. In addition, transitions between the magnetized state and the ground state were observed to be mediated by the creation and propagation of vertices that behave like magnetic monopoles pseudo-particles. This is an important step towards a more detailed experimental study of monopole-like excitations in artificial spin ice systems., Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures. Published version

Dynamical effects under geometrical frustration are considered in a model for artificial spin ice on a square lattice in two dimensions. Each island of the spin ice has a three-component Heisenberg-like dipole moment subject to shape anisotropies that influence its direction. The model has real dynamics, including rotation of the magnetic degrees of freedom, going beyond the Ising-type models of spin ice. The dynamics is studied using a Langevin equation solved via a second order Heun algorithm. Thermodynamic properties such as the specific heat are presented for different couplings. A peak in specific heat is related to a type of melting-like phase transition present in the model. Hysteresis in an applied magnetic field is calculated for model parameters where the system is able to reach thermodynamic equilibrium., Comment: Revised version

We study a frustrated two-dimensional array of dipoles forming an artificial rectangular spin ice with horizontal and vertical lattice parameters given by $a$ and $b$ respectively. We show that the ice regime could be stabilized by appropriate choices for the ratio $\gamma \equiv a/b$. Our results show that for $\gamma \approx \sqrt{3}$, i.e., when the center of the islands form a triangular lattice, the ground state becomes degenerate. Therefore, while the magnetic charges (monopoles) are excitations connected by an energetic string for general rectangular lattices (including the particular case of a square lattice), they are practically free to move for a special rectangular lattice with $\gamma \approx \sqrt{3}$. Besides that, our results show that for $\gamma > \sqrt{3}$ the system is highly anisotropic in such a way that, even for this range out of the ice regime, the string tension almost vanishes along a particular direction of the array. We also discuss the ground state transition and some thermodynamic properties of the system., Comment: 14 pages and 5 figures; published version

The interactions between an excitation (similar to a pair of Nambu monopoles) and a lattice defect are studied in an artificial two-dimensional square spin ice. This is done by considering a square array of islands containing only one island different from all others. This difference is incorporated in the magnetic moment (spin) of the "imperfect" island and several cases are studied, including the special situation in which this distinct spin is zero (vacancy). We have shown that the two extreme points of a malformed island behave like two opposite magnetic charges. Then, the effective interaction between a pair of Nambu monopoles with the deformed island is a problem involving four magnetic charges (two pairs of opposite poles) and a string. We also sketch the configuration of the field lines of these four charges to confirm this picture. The influence of the string on this interaction decays rapidly with the string distance from the defect., Comment: 7 pages, 13 figures

The energetics of thin elongated ferromagnetic nano-islands is considered for some different shapes, aspect ratios, and applied magnetic field directions. These nano-island particles are important for artificial spin-ice materials. For low temperature, the magnetic internal energy of an individual particle is evaluated numerically as a function of the direction of a particle's net magnetization. This leads to estimations of effective anisotropy constants for (1) the easy axis along the particle's long direction, and (2) the hard axis along the particle's thin direction. A spin relaxation algorithm together with fast Fourier transform for the demagnetization field is used to solve the micromagnetics problem for a thin system. The magnetic hysteresis is also found. The results indicate some possibilities for controlling the equilibrium and dynamics in spin-ice materials by using different island geometries., Comment: 9 pages, two-column, 8 figures

In this work we propose and study a realization of an artificial spin ice-like system, not based on any real material, in a triangular geometry. At each vertex of the lattice, the "ice-like rule" dictates that three spins must point inward while the other three must point outward. We have studied the system's ground-state and the lowest energy excitations as well as the thermodynamic properties of the system. Our results show that, despite fundamental differences in the vertices topologies as compared to the artificial square spin ice, in the triangular array the lowest energy excitations also behave as a kind of Nambu monopoles (two opposite monopoles connected by an energetic string). Indeed, our results suggest that the monopoles charge value may have a universal value while the string tension could be tuned by changing the system's geometry, probably allowing the design of systems with different string tensions. Our Monte Carlo results suggest a phase transition in the Ising universality class where the mean distance between monopoles and anti-monopoles increases considerably at the critical temperature. The differences on the vertices topologies seem to facilitate the experimental achievement of the system's ground-state, thereby allowing a more detailed experimental study of the system's properties., Comment: This new version of the paper includes all changes described in the erratum published at PRB 86, 219902(E) (2012) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.86.219902)

We investigate the thermodynamics of artificial square spin ice systems assuming only dipolar interactions among the islands that compose the array. The emphasis is given on the effects of the temperature on the elementary excitations (magnetic monopoles and their Dirac strings). By using Monte Carlo techniques we calculate the specific heat, the density of poles and their average separation as functions of temperature. The specific heat and average separation between monopoles and antimonopoles exhibit a sharp peak and a local maximum, respectively, at the same temperature, $T_{p}\approx 7.2D/k_{B}$ (here, $D$ is the strength of the dipolar interaction and $k_{B}$ is the Boltzmann constant). As the lattice size is increased, the amplitude of these features also increases but very slowly. Really, the specific heat and the maximum in the average separation $d_{max}$ between oppositely charged monopoles increase logarithmically with the system size, indicating that completely isolated charges could be found only at the thermodynamic limit. In general, the results obtained here suggest that, for temperatures $T \geq T_{p}$, these systems may exhibit a phase with separated monopoles, although the quantity $d_{max}$ should not be larger than a few lattice spacings for viable artificial materials., Comment: 7 pages, 9 figures

In this work we have used extensive Monte Carlo calculations to study the planar to paramagnetic phase transition in the two-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model with dipolar interactions (AHd) considering the true long-range character of the dipolar interactions by means of the Ewald summation. Our results are consistent with an order-disorder phase transition with unusual critical exponents in agreement with our previous results for the Planar Rotator model with dipolar interactions. Nevertheless, our results disagrees with the Renormalization Group results of Maier and Schwabl [PRB, 70, 134430 (2004)] and the results of Rapini et. al. [PRB, 75, 014425 (2007)], where the AHd was studied using a cut-off in the evaluation of the dipolar interactions. We argue that besides the long-range character of dipolar interactions their anisotropic character may have a deeper effect in the system than previously believed. Besides, our results shows that the use of a cut-off radius in the evaluation of dipolar interactions must be avoided when analyzing the critical behavior of magnetic systems, since it may lead to erroneous results., Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

Direct observation of vortex states in an antiferromagnetic layer have been recently reported [Wu, et al, Nature Phys. 7, 303 (2011)]. In contrast to their analogues in ferromagnetic systems, namely in nanomagnets, the vortex core of antiferromagnets are not expected (and have not been observed) to present gyrotropic or any other remarkable dynamics, even when external fields are applied. Using simulated annealing and spin dynamics techniques we have been able to describe a number of properties of such a vortex state. Besides of being in agreement with reported results, our results also indicate, whenever applied to antiferromagnetic nanodisks, that the presence of holes in the sample may induce two types of motions for this vortex. Its dynamics depends upon the relative separation between its core and the hole: when they are very apart the vortex core oscillates near the nanodisk center (its equilibrium position); while, if they are sufficiently close, the core moves towards the hole where it is captured and remains static., Comment: 5 revtex pages

We study a modified frustrated dipolar array recently proposed by M\"{o}ller and Moessner [Phys. Rev. Lett. \textbf{96}, 237202 (2006)], which is based on an array manufactured lithographically by Wang \emph{et al.} [Nature (London) \textbf{439}, 303 (2006)] and consists of introducing a height offset $h$ between islands (dipoles) pointing along the two different lattice directions. The ground-states and excitations are studied as a function of $h$. We have found, in qualitative agreement with the results of M\"{o}ller and Moessner, that the ground-state changes for $h>h_{1}$, where $h_{1}= 0.444a$ ($a$ is the lattice parameter or distance between islands). In addition, the excitations above the ground-state behave like magnetic poles but confined by a string, whose tension decreases as $h$ increases, in such a way that for $h\approx h_1$ its value is around 20 times smaller than that for $h=0$. The system exhibits an anisotropy in the sense that the string tension and magnetic charge depends significantly on the directions in which the monopoles are separated. In turn, the intensity of the magnetic charge abruptly changes when the monopoles are separated along the direction of the longest axis of the islands. Such a gap is attributed to the transition from the anti to the ferromagnetic ground-state when $h=h_1$., Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures. Published version

In this work we have used extensive Monte Carlo simulations and finite size scaling theory to study the phase transition in the dipolar Planar Rotator model (dPRM), also known as dipolar XY model. The true long-range character of the dipolar interactions were taken into account by using the Ewald summation technique. Our results for the critical exponents does not fit those from known universality classes. We observed that the specific heat is apparently non-divergent and the critical exponents are $\nu=1.277(2)$, $\beta=0.2065(4)$ and $\gamma=2.218(5)$. The critical temperature was found to be $T_c=1.201(1)$. Our results are clearly distinct from those of a recent Renormalization Group study from Maier and Schwabl [PRB 70, 134430 (2004)] and agrees with the results from a previous study of the anisotropic Heisenberg model with dipolar interactions in a bilayer system using a cut-off in the dipolar interactions [PRB 79, 054404 (2009)]., Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, Submitted to Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter

We study the magnetic excitations of a square lattice spin-ice recently produced in an artificial form, as an array of nanoscale magnets. Our analysis, based upon the dipolar interaction between the nanomagnetic islands, correctly reproduces the ground-state observed experimentally. In addition, we find magnetic monopole-like excitations effectively interacting by means of the usual Coulombic plus a linear confining potential, the latter being related to a string-like excitation binding the monopoles pairs, what indicates that the fractionalization of magnetic dipoles may not be so easy in two dimensions. These findings contrast this material with the three-dimensional analogue, where such monopoles experience only the Coulombic interaction. We discuss, however, two entropic effects that affect the monopole interactions: firstly, the string configurational entropy may loose the string tension and then, free magnetic monopoles should also be found in lower dimensional spin ices; secondly, in contrast to the string configurational entropy, an entropically driven Coulomb force, which increases with temperature, has the opposite effect of confining the magnetic defects., Comment: 8 pages. Accepted by Journal of Applied Physics (2009)

This paper has been withdrawn by the authors due to a possible inconsistency in the program code., Comment: This paper has been withdrawn

We study magnetic vortex-like excitations lying on a conic space background. Two types of them are obtained. Their energies appear to be linearly dependent on the conical aperture parameter, besides of being logarithmically divergent with the sample size. In addition, we realize a geometrical-like pinning of the vortex, say, it is energetically favorable for it to nucleate around the conical apex. We also study the problem of two vortices on the cone and obtain an interesting effect on such a geometry: excitations of the same charge, then repealing each other, may nucleate around the apex for suitable cone apertures. We also pay attention to the problem of the vortex pair and how its dissociation temperature depends upon conical geometry., Comment: 13 pages, 06 figures, Latex. Version accepted for PHYSICS LETTERS A

The dynamical behavior of anisotropic two dimensional Heisenberg models is still a matter of controversy. The existence of a central peak at all temperatures and a rich structure of magnon peaks are not yet understood. It seems that the central peaks are related, in some way, to structures like vortices. In order to contribute to the discussion of the dynamical behavior of the model we use Monte Carlo and spin dynamics simulations as well analytical calculations to study the behavior of vortices in the presence of nonmagnetic impurities. Our simulations show that vortices are attracted and trapped by the impurities. Using this result we show that if we suppose that vortices are not very much disturbed by the presence of the impurities, then they work as an attractive potential to the vortices explaining the observed behavior in our simulations., Comment: 4 pages, 6 figures

We study a recent generalization proposed for the XY model in two and three dimensions. Using both, the continuum limit and discrete lattice, we obtained the vortex configuration and shown that out-of-plane vortex solutions are deeply jeopardized whenever the parameter of generalization, $L$, is increased. The critical temperature for such models is calculated using the self consistent harmonic approximation. In both, two- and three-dimensional cases, such a temperature decreases with raising $L$. Our results are also compared with other approximated methods available in the literature., Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure

We argue that an oscillatory motion of impurity-pinned solitons may occur in layered antiferromagnetic compounds. The characteristic frequencies of these modes, that may be detected by resonance or inelastic neutron scattering, are estimated analytically and depend on the soliton sizes and types ., Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure

We performed Monte Carlo simulations to calculate the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless (BKT) temperature $T_{BKT}$ for the two-dimensional planar rotator model in the presence of nonmagnetic impurity concentration $(\rho)$. As expected, our calculation shows that the BKT temperature decreases as the spin vacancies increase. There is a critical dilution $\rho_c \approx 0.3$ at which $T_{BKT} =0$. The effective interaction between a vortex-antivortex pair and a static nonmagnetic impurity is studied analytically. A simple phenomenological argument based on the pair-impurity interaction is proposed to justify the simulations., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, Revetex file

Using a model of nonmagnetic impurity potential, we have examined the behavior of planar vortex solutions in the classical two-dimensional XY ferromagnets in the presence of a spin vacancy localized out of the vortex core. Our results show that a spinless atom impurity gives rise to an effective potential that repels the vortex structure., Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, RevTex 4