Interface disorder and layer transitions in Ising thin films

Abstract

The disorder and layer transitions in the interface between an Ising spin-1/2 film denoted $(n)$, and an Ising spin-1 film denoted $(m)$, are studied using Monte Carlo simulations. The effects of both an external magnetic field, acting only on the spin-1/2 film, and a crystal magnetic field acting only on the spin-1 film, are studied for a fixed temperature and selected values of the coupling constant $J_p$ between the two films. It is found that for large values of the constant $J_p$, the layers of the film $(n)$, as well as those of the film $(m)$, undergo a first order layering transition. On the other hand, the only disordered layer of the film $(n)$ is that one belonging to the interface films $(n)/(m)$, for any values of the crystal field $\Delta$. We show the existence of a critical value of the crystal field $\Delta_c$, above which this particular layer of the film $(n)$ is disordered. We found that $\Delta_c$ depends on the values of the constant coupling $(J_p)$ between the two films.