Monte Carlo simulation of the effects of higher order anisotropy on the spin reorientation transition in the two dimensional Heisenberg model with long range interactions

Abstract

The strength of perpendicular anisotropy is known to drive the spin reorientation in thin magnetic films. Here we consider the effect different order anisotropies have on two phase transitions; the spin reorientation transition and the orientational order transition. We find that the relative magnitude of different order anisotropies can significantly enhance or suppress the degree to which the system reorients. Specifically Monte Carlo simulations reveal significant changes in the cone angle and planar magnetization. In order to facilitate rapid computation we have developed a stream processing technique, suitable for use on GPU systems, for computing the transition probabilities in two dimensional systems with dipole interactions.