Interlayer-Interaction Dependence of Latent Heat in the Heisenberg Model on a Stacked Triangular Lattice with Competing Interactions

Abstract

We study the phase transition behavior of a frustrated Heisenberg model on a stacked triangular lattice by Monte Carlo simulations. The model has three types of interactions: the ferromagnetic nearest-neighbor interaction $J_1$ and antiferromagnetic third nearest-neighbor interaction $J_3$ in each triangular layer and the ferromagnetic interlayer interaction $J_\perp$. Frustration comes from the intralayer interactions $J_1$ and $J_3$. We focus on the case that the order parameter space is SO(3)$\times C_3$. We find that the model exhibits a first-order phase transition with breaking of the SO(3) and $C_3$ symmetries at finite temperature. We also discover that the transition temperature increases but the latent heat decreases as $J_\perp/J_1$ increases, which is opposite to the behavior observed in typical unfrustrated three-dimensional systems.