Magnetism2 : Spontaneous Magnetic Order

Spontaneous and non-spontaneous

magnetism
Assume that there is an interaction between neighboring
spins: “Exchange interaction”
 Si : spin on atom i

(For Insulator)

Interaction energy

If Jij > 0, it is lower energy when spins are aligned.

If Jij < 0, it is lower energy when spins are anitialigned.

 Heisenberg Hamiltonian

- Assume only nearest-neighbor spins interact, <i, j>

- A uniform system (the same J)
- Original Heisenberg convention with 2 Jij
 (Spontaneous) Magnetic Order

Néel state
(M = 0)

Ferromagnet (J > 0) Antiferromagnet (J < 0) Louis Néel (Nobel 1970)

 Antiferromagnets

Q. Being that antiferromagnets have zero net magnetization, how do we know they exist?

1. Susceptibility as a function of T
 Antiferromagnets

Q. Being that antiferromagnets have zero net magnetization, how do we know they exist?

Clifford Shull
(1915-2001)

2. Neutron Diffraction Experiments

(sensitive to the spin direction)

Nobel 1994
Antiferromagnets

- MnO or NiO

- LaCuO2 (HTC SC)

* On certain lattices, there is no ground state that fully satisfies the interaction for all spins.

Frustrated Antiferromagnets

On a triangular lattice
 Ferrimagnets

▪ Very common possibility

: a unit cell with more than one variety of atom
with different moments

Fe3O4 (magnetite)
 (Spontaneous) Magnetic Order

Q. Which direction the spins will actually point?

- Any direction (rotationally symmetric)

- Rarely the case due to the asymmetric

environment within the lattice

Ferromagnet (J > 0) Antiferromagnet (J < 0)

Breaking Symmetry

Anisotropy energy

( Ising Model: if anisotropy is extremely large)

Ising Model
Summary
Macroscopic Effects in Ferromagnets: Weiss Domain

Domain wall
The origin of domains?
 The origin of domains?

- Long range dipolar force vs Short range Coulomb interaction driven “exchange” force
Domain Wall Pinning
Bloch/Neel Wall
 Bloch/Neel Wall

Anisotropy energy