Stochastic dynamics and the dynamic phase transition in thin ferromagnetic films

Abstract

The dynamic phase behavior of a classical Heisenberg spin system with a bilinear exchange anisotropy in a planar thin film geometry has been investigated by Monte Carlo simulations using different forms for the stochastic dynamics. In simulations of the dynamic phase transition (DPT) in films subject to a pulsed oscillatory external field with competing surface fields, both Glauber and Metropolis dynamics show a continuous DPT. Furthermore the field amplitude dependence of the DPT is qualitatively similar for both Glauber and Metropolis dynamics. However, the temperature dependence of the DPT is markedly different with the DPT being much sharper for Glauber dynamics. The difference arises from a decoupling of the surface and bulk responses of the film near the dynamic phase transition with Metropolis dynamics that is not evident for Glauber dynamics.